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HISTORY 



Ninth and Tenth 

REGIMENTS 

RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS, 



AND TDK 



Tenth Rhode Island Battery, 



IN THE UNION ARMY IN 1862. 



PROVIDENCE: 

Snow & Farnham, Printers. 

1892. 



9966 



Copyrighted, 1892. 



1898 



RHODE ISLAND 

Ninth and Tenth Regiments, 



Tenth Battery. 



WILLIAM A- SPICER, 
Co. B, Tenth R. I. Vols. 









CONTENTS. 



Introduction ......... 5 

Preliminary Chapters : 

The High School Boys ...... 9 

The College Roys ok "Brown" .... 21 

The Rhode Island National Guard ■ • ■ 37 

The Call for Volunteers in May, 1862 63 

The Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers 67 

The Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers . . . 121 
The Tenth Light Battery Rhode Island Volunteers 317 
Reunions of the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island 

Veteran Associations, . . . . 331, 339 

Roster of Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island Regiments 

and Tenth Battery . . . . . 361, 385 

Resolutions ........ 4'4~4 I 5 



Mftft 



A LETTER FROM CHAPLAIN CLAPP. 



The following letter from Chaplain Clapp, of the Tenth, has 
been received since the completion of the history. On account 
of its general interest to the comrades, it is printed in this 
separate form to accompany the book. 



New York, December 15, 1893. 
M-i Dear Spjcer : 

I greatly rejoice in the new proof Of their good se'nse which our comrades oi 

" the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island " have shown in selecting you as their his- 
torian, to make lasting record of our varied experiences in the days of the Re- 
bellion. Aglance, which you have kindly allowed me, atthe proof sheets of your 
volume, more than satisfies, — it delights me, with the taste, discrimination, and 
truthfulness with which you have executed your delicate task. That you deserve 
well of us all, I know from personal observation, so far as your story of the 
campaign of the Tenth and our companion battery is concerned, and I cannot 
doubt your equal faithfulness in what you have said of our sister regiment. 
The record is an honorable one. True, we whose service was limited to that 
campaign cannot claim to be survivors of bloody battlefields. We have no 
scars to show in token of the sharpness of rebel sabres or the true aim of rebel 
rifles. We may not in old age shoulder our crutches and show how fields were 
won, but " the boys " whose loyalty you so well commemorate, did faithfully 
the one work to which they were so suddenly called in that serious emergency. 
They defended the capital from threatened invasion at a most critical time. 
They prevented the execution of a rebel plan, the carrying out of which by the 
enemy would have been disastrous in the extreme ; and when unexpectededly 
ordered to the front for closer and more deadly contact with the foe, not a man 
of our inexperienced and comparatively untrained force held back. Not one 
grudged the discomfort of that weary march to ''Seminary Hill," which ga\ 



the privilege of facing the Marshall House, and in loving memory of the 
•• gallant Ellsworth," singing with a vim not often put into the words : 

" Down where the patriot army by Potomac's side." 
And following it with : 

" John Brown's body lies a'mouldering in the grave, 
Hut his soul is marching on." 

Had not superior military wisdom returned us to our forts and batteries near 
Washington, anil sent toward Richmond better seasoned men in our stead, the 
Rhode Island boys would have gone into battle with a courage and efficiency 
not inferior to those of the bravest whose names are enrolled as having 
deserved well of their country. This is proved beyond dispute by the careers of 
many officers and men, who, after honorable discharge from the Ninth and Tenth, 
enlisted in other regiments and served to the end of the war, or till they were 
called up higher to receive the recompense of the loyal and the brave. 

You have wisely given prominence to the bright side of the picture, but it 
need not be said that there were many serious hours in our three months' cam- 
paigning — hours spent in hospital tents beside sick comrades, several of whom 
came near to death, but were mercifully restored — thanks to the Great 
Physician, and to the marked skill and care of our worthy surgeon. Alas, that it 
did not avail to keep back from the grave the brave and youthful Atwood, Meggett, 
and Walker, whose memory your volume so faithfully embalms, and whose 
brightest record is on high. My own memory brings back also many hours 
spent with Rhode Island's wounded boys from other regiments, whom frequent 
inquiries brought to light in the various hospitals in Washington, and whom it 
was a melancholy pleasure to serve by communicating with their parents, 
wives, or other friends at home. Last of all shall I ever forget that long 
anxious homeward ride with our uncomplaining sick, on couches extemporized 
from unscrewed backs of car seats — patient sufferers whom it was an in- 
describable relief to hand over to the care of their loved ones at home. 

Serious also, but to me most pleasant, were the daily seasons of Scripture 
reading, prayer and song, at headquarters, and the Sabbath services held there, 
and at as many of the forts and batteries as could be reached on the back of 
' Fanny," the chaplain's mare. Man y a brief informal address delivered from 
her saddle was most respectfully listened to by "the boys," drawn up in a 
hollow square, and headed by the officer in charge. Not one unpleasant in- 
cident, not even a look of disrespect marred those hours of worship. A some- 
what wide observation convinced me that those regiments were very rare in 
which were enrolled so many cultured, self-respecting gentlemen, as were found 
among the officers and privates of the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island. 

Colonels Bliss, Shaw and Hale; Surgeon Wilcox; Adjutants Thurston and 
Tobey; Quartermasters Armington and DeWolf; Captain Elisha Dyer, Ex. 
1 rnor of our State, and eminent in all civil, educational, social and 

religious circles; and scarcely less known in City and State, the entire list of 



captains whose companies numbered men eminent in professional life, with 
college graduates and undergraduates, many of whom now adorn high posts of 
honor — have we not just occasion to be proud of them? 

Never will the writer forget his first introduction to the genial Colonel Bliss, 
whom he had not the good fortune to know before meeting him at Camp 
Frieze. Governor Dyer led the humble chaplain, verdant enough in all 
military matters, up to the stalwart soldier, saying: " Colonel, I bring to your 
acquaintance my friend, Rev. Mr. Clapp, our chaplain, whom you will be glad 
to know." " Well," said the colonel, his face wreathed in smiles, "I've been 
twelve years in the army and you are the first chaplain T ever had about me. I 
don'tknow what to do with you." " Never mind," was the reply, " You'll soon 
learn ; we shall be the best friends in the regiment, and you'll not know how in the 
world you ever got along without one." "Good!" said the colonel; "Here, 
sergeant, put up the chaplain's tent next to mine; and, chaplain, I want you 
to come into my mess." Into that tent and mess the chaplain went; the 
friendships formed there with the staff largely helped him in bringing good 
influences upon the youn»- and inexperienced in the ranks, and have been 
matter for pleasant memories in the years that have since rolled by. 

If this note were not already too long, I would like to tell our comrades of an 
incident that befell their chaplain on a hot, pitchy dark Sunday night, between 
nine and ten o'clock, on the way back from Battery Vermont to Fort Pennsyl- 
vania. Unable to see a yard ahead your chaplain laid the reins upon Fanny's 
neck, and thinking of his home and parish, had, without knowing it, reached 
the front of Secretary Stanton's house ; just then, on account of repeated rebel 
threats (but without our knowledge), guarded by a detail of troops. Suddenly, 
hoarselv sounded in the chaplain's ear, from a mounted soldier at his side, till 
then unseen and unheard, "Halt! Who goes there?" "Friend, with the 
countersign," was answered with a trembling voice. '-Advance, friend, and 
give the countersign." The countersign was whispered. " The countersign is 
wrong. Come with me to the captain of the guard." For a few minutes the 
chaplain believed himself to be in rebel hands, but reined faithful Fanny up at 
the guard tent. In answer to the captain's questions, he gave his name and 
" pedigree " as chaplain of the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, and in proof 
thereof, produced from his pockets a handful of letters so addressed. Searching 
the chaplain's face by a lantern's light, the captain allowed that, it didn't have 
a rebel look — but the wrong countersign, how was that? At length it dawned 
upon the captain's mind. "Oh, the Tenth Rhode Island boys are not in our 
division, and their countersign is not ours! You may pass on, sir! " And the 
chaplain did pass on with a far lighter heart then he had known for half an 
hour or more. 

You know that unfortunately the duties of my position here, since [865 have 
kept me from meeting with the survivors of the Tenth in their annual reunions— 
a deprivation which I have most deeply regretted. Had I been permitted to be 
with you, I think I should have earlier made a confession of an aliened violation 



of my country's laws of which the boys of the Tenth would never have suspected 
their chaplain, and of a sacrifice in behalf of the United States Treasury for 
which he has never bail due credit. A private of the Ninth, after that regiment 
had gone over the east fork of the Potomac, being seriously ill, sent word of his 
desire to see his friend, the chaplain of the Tenth. " Fanny" took the chaplain 
and mail in the mail wagon to the capital, where it seemed best to let her rest 
for a lew hours before going back to Tennallvtown. So the chaplain foraged 
for " a good and last saddle horse." but the stable keeper said he could furnish 
only a small, pacing mare, "gentle and easy-going," he said, "but unable to 
make more than six miles an hour at her best."' The chaplain mounted, and the 
little creature ambled quietly along Pennsylvania avenue ou our errand of mercy. 
Presently a loud peremptory shout was heard from the rear, but attracted little 
notice. It was heard again and shortly again, but without a thought that it was 
meant for the innocent chaplain, till a big, rough, mounted policeman came 
alongside, grabbed the pacer's rein, and, in a wrathful voice, asked: "Why 
didn't you stop when I challenged you?" Confession of ignorance as to the 
meaning of the shouts was humbly made, but the officer growled : " Come along 
with me." Anil sure enough, the chaplain was haled before a police justice and 
accused of fast driving in the streets of Washington, contrary to the laws of 
that great city. The chaplain told the judge his story, rehearsing with affecting 
ritv the words of the pacer's owner as to the six-mile-an-hour limit of her 
1. Begging to be allowed to go to his sick friend in the Ninth's camp, he 
w is finally allowed to do so, on his pledging his word to present himself at the 
court on bis return, lie did so present himself, bringing along the stable 
keeper, who retold the story of the pacer's si\-mile limit. But all would not 
avail. The treasury was at a low ebb, the policeman was angry, and a strong 
swearer, and the justice thought that "a line oi five dollars would be about 
right!" It was paid, and the sacred streets of the capital were avenged for 
having resounded to the rattling feet of a pacer rushing along their surface at 
the rate of six miles an hour! 

When you meet ■again our comrades you may tell them the story, which for 
obvious reasons I kept from them in camp. They may smile at it now as long 
and as loudly as they choose. 

And do not fail to assure them of my sincere regard, my gratitude that I was 
allowed to share with them our brief campaign, my lasting memory of their 
many kindnesses, and my earnest prayers for their best welfare here and for 
their final blessedness in the eternal Kingdom of the Prince of Peace. 

Always cordially yours, 

A. HUNTINGTON CLAPP. 



Introduction 



N 



4 4 TV T EVER in all history was so wonderful a scene as the sud- 
den uprising of our people, and their quiet return to 
the pursuits of peace. We can only liken it to the 
poetic description of Sir Walter Scott, in the Lady of the Lake, 
when Roderick gives the shrill whistle through the copse and heath, 
that summons his men before the face of Eitz James. 

' That whistle garrisoned the glen 
At once with full five hundred men. 
As if the yawning hill to heaven 
A subterranean host had given.' 

"Then after his purpose was fulfilled, he bids them return again 
as silently as they had come. 

' Short space he stood, then waved his hand, 
Down sank the disappearing band. 
It seemed as if their mother earth 
Had swallowed up her warlike birth.' 

"In our land, not hundreds, but thousands and millions sprang 
to the call of liberty, and when their service was ended, after 
many of their comrades had perished on the field of honor, the 
survivors returned as quietly to the employments of peace and 
the delights of home." — Rev. James G. Vosc, D. D. 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

Various veteran associations are wisely engaged in making a 
record of the personal experiences of their members in the War 
for the Union. Doubtless it will prove a most valuable and au- 
thentic record, and to it in generations to come, the historian will 
resort for the substance of his judgments. 

The preparation of this book was undertaken at the unanimous 
request of the members of the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers and 
Battery Association, at its thirtieth annual reunion, May 26, 1892. 

Though the work assigned the Committee was entered upon 
with some reluctance, on account of business and professional 
duties, it has brought its own reward in the joy of living over old 
times again, and the days of youthful vigor, when at a moment's 
warning, we put on uniform and hurried to the defence of the 
capital. 

This record professes to be, not a treatise on the war, but a 
modest, and we trust, truthful narrative of scenes and incidents 
of our three months' campaign in 1862, with such a description of 
the military situation in Virginia, as will enable the reader to 
form a correct estimate of the services rendered. Diligent inquiry 
has been made among the members for old letters, diaries and 
sketches, and one of the Committee, Comrade William A. Spicer, 
has consented to arrange the material collected and edit the 
history. 

The Committee realize that the War for the Union is long since 
over, and that the years of peace and progress which have followed 
have made it only a memory. They still feel, however, that the 
rising generations which have grown up since the war, should 
become familiar with its historv, and read enough of the details, to 



INTRODUCTION. J 

know in what spirit it was carried on, and what of valor and devo- 
tion to country is still in our educated American youth. 

"Prior to the late Rebellion," said Gen. Horatio Rogers, him- 
self a gallant soldier, and an honored justice of the Supreme 
Court of our State, " it was a matter of speculation among us 
whether if opportunity offered, the young men of this generation 
would emulate the heroism of their patriotic ancestors. In those 
tranquil times, and to our inexperienced minds, the history of the 
great struggle for National Independence seemed like a romance. 
Our civil war has at length solved the problem, . . . and has 
proved that devotion to country has not withered in the hearts of 
American youth." And to-day, as we behold with patriotic pride 
our country's flag proudly floating over our public schools and 
colleges, we feel that it has a new meaning of freedom and bless- 
ing for this generation and the generations to come. 

Certainly no class of our citizens exhibited a purer patriotism 
during the war, than the members of our high schools and colleges, 
and as a considerable part of the good material of the Ninth and 
Tenth Regiments and Battery, was drawn from the Providence 
High School and Brown University, we will introduce this history 
with brief sketches of those institutions at the time of the war 
of the Rebellion. 

ALBERT J. MANCHESTER, Tenth R. I. Vols. 

WILLIAM A. SPICER. 

( Historical 
WILLIAM A. II. GRANT. " " " ) 

i Committee. 
II. H. RICHARDSON. Ninth " 

P. B. STLNESS, Tenth R. I. Batt. 

Providence, July 4. 1S92. 




THE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1862. 



THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS 

OF PROVIDENCE. 



" We are the boys, the gay old boys, 
Who marched in sixty-one, 
We'll ne'er forget old times, my boys, 
When vou and I were young." 



Old song: 



OUR school days were cast in eventful times. Some of the 
Providence boys who met thirty years ago in the old High 
School on Benefit Street, can hardly have forgotten the 
stirring events which preceded the war, and the memorable presi- 
dential campaign of i860. Joining the Lincoln wide awake army, 
they proudly shouldered their torches and marched on to victory, 
little heeding the threatening clouds of secession gathering in the 
Southern horizon. How few then, North or South, young or old, 
realized the nearness of the whirlwind of civil war, which was soon 
to burst forth and rage for four long years, carrying desolation 
into almost every family in the land. A struggle which killed 
six hundred thousand, and permanently disabled a million young 
men. But it abolished state rights and slavery, the causes of the 
conflict, and settled finally the great principle declared by Web- 
ster, that the Union is "now and forever, one and inseparable." 

The first gun fired on Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, aroused and 
excited the nation. President Lincoln at once called for 75,000 
men. Rhode Island was ready, and looked to General Burnside 



IO THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS 

for a leader. The ladies met in the church vestries and made 
uniforms for the volunteers. All classes were united in the deter- 
mination to vindicate the honor of our flag. The excitement was 
fully shared, if not increased, by the High School boys. Every 
one was expected to show his colors, and it was voted to purchase 
and raise the national flag over the High School building. Hear- 
ing that the college boys were about to unfurl the " stars and 
stripes" over University Hall (where, eighty-eight years before, 
the old Revolutionary flag had floated), it was determined to anti- 
cipate them, if possible. Wednesday afternoon, April 17th, at 
five o'clock, being the time appointed for the exercises at the col- 
lege, the following High School announcement appeared in the 
Journal of that day : "The ' stars and stripes ' will be raised this 
afternoon over the High School, at half past four j '" But the 
boys were finally induced to defer their public demonstration till 
the following morning, though they couldn't refrain from in- 
dulging in a little informal flag-raising at the hour first announced, 
thus securing the desired priority, and the following notice from 
the Evening Press : " High School Patriotism. — A splendid na- 
tional flag, purchased by the subscription of over one hundred 
High School boys, was displayed from the High School building, 
this afternoon ! " The formal exercises were of a most interest- 
ing character. At eleven o'clock, in the presence of teachers, 
scholars, citizens, and soldiers, who were about leaving for the 
war, the boys raised the flag, followed by the singing of the " Star 
Spangled Banner." The young ladies of the school carried 
small national flags. Mayor Knight delivered a brief opening 
address, and introduced Professor Chace, of Brown University, 



OF PROVIDENCE. II 

who responded with scholarly and patriotic sentiments. Bishop 
Clark related an anecdote of his great grandfather, who, after the 
battle of Bunker Hill, was obliged to sleep in a baker's oven, and 
added, " I am glad that he did not get baked, else I should not 
have been here to-day to address you ! " and turning to the " Ma- 
rines," who were soon to leave for Washington, with the First 
Rhode Island Regiment, he said, "some of you may have to sleep 
in a baker's oven before you get back, but I hope you will not 
get baked, but come home well bre(a)d men as you now are." 
They were indeed soon tried in the fiery furnace of Bull Run, and 
some never returned. Ex-Mayor Rodman, in his pleasant man- 
ner, referred to a conversation between Gen. Nathanael Greene 
and his mother, during the Revolution, in which she cautioned 
him "not to get shot in the back!" Dr. Caldwell made an im- 
pressive closing address, then "America" was heartily sung, 
followed by cheers for "the Union," "the young ladies of the 
High School," "Governor Sprague," the "First Regiment," and 
the "Marines." " Fifteen cheers and a Narragansett " were given 
by the boys for a dispatch, read by Bishop Clark, that Virginia had 
decided not to secede. But they found out, a few days later, that 
they had wasted their ammunition on the "Old Dominion." 

It was now apparent that there was sufficient military spirit to 
warrant the formation of a High School company. A meeting 
was held in the hall, at which a committee of arrangements was 
appointed, who "pushed things," and in a few weeks the boys fell 
into line under the name of the " Ellsworth Phalanx," in honor 
of the youthful and gallant commander of the New York Zouaves. 
He had been shot at Alexandria, Ya., a few weeks before (May 



12 THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS 

24th), while engaged in lowering a rebel flag from a hotel in that 
city. How it would have startled the members of the "Ellsworth 
Phalanx," could they have known that the next year, some of their 
number would be marching through that same rebellious city, and 
by the very hotel where Ellsworth fell ! Yet so it proved, and 
as they marched, they sung the stirring strains of "Ellsworth's 
Avengers," quickly followed by that grand old marching song, 

" John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave 
But his soul is marching on ! " 

The beautiful standard of colors presented to the Phalanx, was 
the gift of the young ladies of the High School.* Daniel W. 
Lyman, who was afterwards senator in the General Assembly, was 
chosen captain. The company averaged from seventy to eighty 
boys, according to the pressure of study at the High School. By 
an arrangement with the United Train of Artillery, their armory 
on Canal street became the headquarters of the corps, and under 
the direction of the veteran Col. Westcott Handy, of the Old 
Guard Continentals, it soon attained a creditable degree of pro- 
ficiency. 

The discipline was strict, and there was no levity, the boys 
thought, about the hot and hard marching. But who can forget 
those refreshing seasons after the long and toilsome drill or street 
parade, when good Colonel Handy marched us through his herb 
beer establishment, near the Great Bridge, and treated one and all, 
to a large glass of his celebrated beer, "compounded strictly 
from medicinal roots and herbs." May his memory ever remain 

' This flag may still be seen at the High School on Summer Street. 



OF PROVIDENCE. I 3 

as fragrant as his beer! What wonder that the corps rapidly 
advanced in discipline and spirits and soon attracted not a little 
public attention for its steady and soldierly bearing on parade. 
It was altogether, the boys thought, very serious business, but 
the discipline did much doubtless in kindling a warmer ardor of 
patriotism, and a stronger devotion to duty. An indulgent critic 
says, "that in point of marching, with all the legs going together, 
twisting itself up and untwisting, breaking into single file (for 
Indian fighting), forming platoons and wheeling with faultless 
line around the corner of North Alain Street and Market Square ; 
getting out of the way of a wagon or omnibus, and circling the 
High Street liberty pole and town pump ; with ranks well 
dressed, and eyes 'right and left,' particularly in going by the 
High School, it was the equal of any military organization I ever 
saw." 

It is needless for the writer to add that he was an ardent mem- 
ber of the "Phalanx," rising steadily from the grade of "private" 
to the rank of "corporal." Winning at the "target-shoot" the 
bright cockade of red, white and blue ribbons, to be worn on 
bayonet on parade, for making the lucky shot at two hundred 
yards. It was generally admitted that the "Phalanx" could drill 
better and execute the Zouave manoeuvres in finer style than some 
of the older military companies. The exhibition drills of the corps, 
and the brilliant evening assemblies, with Lyman "potent to 
preside," will be pleasantly recalled. How they enlivened the 
long winter evenings of '61 ! 

But the Rebellion was not yet subdued. Brighter days were 
looked for with the opening of '62, but the situation seemed 



14 THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS 

full of peril to the nation. As with men all over the land, so with 
the students of the High School, the condition of the country 
was the all absorbing topic of discussion. The following essay by 
"a corporal," and a member of the class of '62, illustrates the spirit 
of the school on 

" The Coming Crisis." 

"Our country is on the eve of a great crisis. From every ap- 
pearance that we can discern, Liberty and Loyalty, and Rebellion 
and Slavery are about to grapple for the decisive struggle. The 
work of preparation, which has been energetically pushed forward 
during the past six months, is nearly completed. Our young 
general-in-chief has been employed with untiring energy in gath- 
ering his armies around the rebel capital, and hemming in the 
enemy on every side, and the command for the final advance seems 
almost now to echo along the whole line. 

" We all know what a terrible shock must ensue, and can all 
estimate something of the magnitude of its results. Of course we 
expect our army to be victorious. It would seem as though the 
fruit of so much noble sacrifice, and of such gigantic preparation, 
must be victory. The people have given their money and treas- 
ure free as water, their lives even, as of little value in comparison 
with the great principles at stake. For these they have permitted 
their most sacred liberties to be invaded that success may be 
rendered more certain. We claim, too, and justly, the larger and 
better disciplined battalions ; and military skill has been exhausted 
in placing in their hands the most destructive weapons of modern 
warfare. We suppose, therefore, our army to be invincible. But 



OF PROVIDENCE. I 5 

our confidence of victory lies not alone, or principally, in our physi- 
cal strength, but in the moral strength of our cause. Best of all, 
we have 'God and the Right' upon our side. Truth and Justice 
are with us. The prayers of the millions of the enslaved through- 
out the world are with us. We are fighting to preserve the glo- 
rious Union for which our fathers fought and suffered so much. 
We are fighting for Freedom and Humanity everywhere. 

"Truly it seems that with such a cause, and with such soldiers 
and generals, victory must rest upon our banners. 

"Yet we must not be too sanguine of success. Although we 
know that the right must eventually triumph, yet our countrv 
may be called upon to pass through sterner trials, before it shall 
come forth from the flames of war purified and regenerated. We 
may again be destined to learn the terrible lesson of defeat. It 
seems now almost impossible, but we cannot tell. 

" When our army was before Manassas last July, we supposed 
that victory would certainly be ours, and when the intelligence 
came of the panic and retreat to Washington, it fell upon the 
nation with a sudden shock that bowed it to the earth, and it has 
not recovered from the effect to-day. 

"The tide of battle is so often turned by unforeseen and unex- 
pected circumstances, that we can only hope and wait for the issue. 

" While there is time, let us prepare for defeat as well as vic- 
tory. For let the worst indeed come, we must never yield. Out- 
most cherished principles, perhaps the national existence, are at 
stake. If we fail in this struggle for liberty and union, it will carry 
despair to the hearts of the oppressed and enslaved, and sound 
the death-knell of free institutions evervwhere. 



l6 THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS 

" Whatever sacrifice we may be called upon to make, let us stand 
ready to meet it. We are not too young to possess the spirit of 
true patriotism, the spirit of the gallant ' Ellsworth,' whose name 
we have chosen. Let us stand ready, therefore, so that if the 
safety of the country should demand it, we may rally with full 
' Phalanx' in her defence, and give our aid, little though it may be, 
to the good cause." 

The time was at hand. May 1862 came, and with it fresh news 
of disaster to the Union cause. Stonewall Jackson with 20,000 
men, had sent Banks's little army whirling down the Shenandoah 
Valley, to the Potomac, and, at midnight, on the 25th, a dispatch 
came to Providence announcing the disaster, with an urgent ap- 
peal for troops for the protection of the capital. Just an hour 
later, the governor issued an order to immediately organize two 
new regiments, the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, 
and the Tenth Light Battery, for three months' service. The 
response was prompt, and among other military organizations, the 
" Ellsworth Phalanx " of the High School furnished a liberal quota. 
The call found the boys " volens et paratus" now our motto. 
At the head of Company B, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, 
recruited principally from the ranks of the High School and 
University companies, marched Capt. Elisha Dyer, formerly the 
governor of the state. The men are few who at his age (over fifty) 
would have left the comforts of home for the arduous position of 
captain in a volunteer regiment. And those High School boys, 
whose fortunate lot it was to belong to Captain Dyer's company, 
will hardly again find in life a day of such strange excitement, as 
that on which they first put on uniform and started for camp. 



OF PROVIDENCE. I 7 

Many of the boys after completing their first term of service, 
re-enlisted, and as commissioned officers served through the war. 
Two hundred and twenty-five of the students of the High School 
served in the army and navy during the Rebellion. Seventeen 
died in the service.* 

Let us pause for a moment, to honor the memory of one of our 
youngest comrades of Company A, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 

William Frederick Atwood, class of 1862, son of William 
and Emeline P. Atwood, was born in Sing Sing, N. Y., in Jan- 
uary, 1845. His father was engaged in the foundry business 
at that time, but soon after removed to Providence, R. L, where 
his grandfather, John Atwood, had been for many years a well- 
known resident and real estate proprietor. " Fred," as he was 
familiarly called at home, was educated in the public schools, 
and in 1859 entered the High School. He was possessed of a 
genial temperament and generous disposition, which drew around 
him a circle of personal friends. The opening of the war, in 1861, 
aroused and excited the High School boys, and when the urgent 
call for volunteers came in May, 1862, young Atwood (although 
but seventeen) enlisted, with many of his classmates, in Com- 
pany A, Capt. William E. Taber, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 

As at home he had been a loving son and brother, so now he 
became an honored comrade, faithful in all his relations, as Cap- 
tain Taber bears cheerful testimony. He was taken suddenly ill 
at Camp Frieze, in the latter part of June, and growing rapidly 
worse he was removed to Seminary Hospital, Georgetown, D. C, 

* See page 19, " In Memorium." 



1 8 THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS. 

where he died'fjune 29, 1862, leaving the example of a brave and 
spotless manhood. 

The career of young Atwood is one of the briefest recorded in 
the history of the war. But thirty days elapsed from the clay of 
his departure from home to the clay of his funeral. But those 
clays, few as they were, signally illustrated his modest fidelity to 
every trust, and his cheerful surrender of the bright hopes of 
youth, to die in his country's service. In a retired and beautiful 
spot near the Soldiers' Home, overlooking the capital which his 
youthful footsteps had hastened to defend, he sleeps the sleep 
which no morning drum-beat shall break. 

Strangely also, his father, who enlisted a few months later in 
the Eleventh Rhode Island Volunteers, sickened and died, and 
was buried at Arlington, only a few miles from his son's grave. 

And we would not omit to mention, with honor, the name of 
our youthful and lamented comrade, Frederick Metcalf (son of 
Col. Edwin Metcalf), who, although but fifteen years old, enlisted 
with his other classmates in Company B. But Captain Dyer was 
unwilling to assume the responsibility of accepting so young a 
volunteer in the absence of his father (then in active service with 
his regiment at Hilton Head, S. C.) But this did not dampen 
the ardor of young Metcalf, and we find him in October of the 
following year, a second lieutenant in his father's regiment (the 
Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery). He also creditably served 
as post adjutant at Fort Pulaski, Georgia, till May 27, 1864, when 
he was promoted to a first lieutenancy. But in the following 
August he was seized with the typhoid malaria, and died on the 
28th, in the seventeenth year of his age. 




1ln flfoemortam. 



ROLL OF STUDENTS OF THE PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL 



Died in tt\e Service of tl\eir Country during trie Rebellion. 



Munrq H. Gladding, 
Francis B. Ferris, . 
William Ware Hall, 
John P. Shaw, 
George W. Field, . 
James H. Earle, 
Howard Greene, 
George Wheaton Cole, 
Samuel Foster, 2D, 
Jesse Comstock, 
J. Nelson Bogman, 
Peter Hunt, 
William F. Atwoud, 
Benjamin E. Kelly, 
Charles M. Latham, 
Frederick Metcalf, 
Eugene F. Granger, 



ss of 



1846. 
1848. 
[848. 

1850. 
1852. 

1853. 

1S55. 

[856. 

1856. 
1S5S. 

1 861. 
[861. 

1 862. 
[862. 
1862. 
1 864. 
1866. 



Note.— Tin- & in all cases, 







BROWN UNIVERSITY IN 1S62. 



THE COLLEGE BOYS 

OF "BROWN." 



li For each of them considered that not for his father and mother only was lie 
horn, hut also for his fatherland." — Demosthenes DeCorotia. 

A LARGE number of the students of "Brown" left the 
"campus" for the camp, some at the very outbreak of the 
War of the Rebellion. During the winter of i860, the politi- 
cal affairs of the nation assumed an aspect which no lover of his 
country could regard with indifference. The distant mutterings 
of the approaching storm were heard in Hope College and Uni- 
versity Hall. The literary societies in their meetings discussed 
the questions of the day. These questions also furnished the 
chief topics in social intercourse, and studies correspondingly 
languished. 

*In the spring of i860, when Abraham Lincoln came to Rhode 
Island, he found no more attentive listeners to the two addresses 
that he delivered, — one in Providence and one in Woonsocket— 
than the students of " Brown," who flocked to hear him. One of 
them, William Ide Brown, the beloved class president of '62, — who 
gallantly served in the army from August 10, 1862, to March 29, 
1865, when he was killed before Petersburg,— wrote March 8, i860, 

* This sketch is principally from the pen of Maj. S. L. Burrage, class of '"J. 



2 2 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

" Lincoln, of Illinois, speaks this evening at Woonsocket. There 

is to be an extra train, and pays the expenses of eighty 

or ninety students." This occasion was one which few of the men 
who were in college can forget, so long as life shall last. Soon 
in the rapid march of events, the western orator became the 
President of the United States, and Brown saw him next in 1862, 
as in company with McClellan and Burnside the President passed 
along the lines in review of the army after the battle of Antietam. 
Threatened violence at length appeared armed, and in April, 
1861, the peal of hostile cannon filled the land. But the sound of 
the first gun which was fired at Fort Sumter did not die away 
when it reached the walls of the college. It would be impossible 
to set forth in words the state of feeling which was at once mani- 
fested throughout the university. The senior class procured a 
flag, and on the afternoon of April 17th, in the presence of the 
Faculty, the students, and a throng of the friends of the college, 
it was raised over University Hall. After the flag had been un- 
furled, and the band had played " The Star Spangled Banner," 
President Sears, standing on the steps of Manning Hall, delivered 
a brief address. He said he deprecated civil war. He regretted 
the necessity which it imposed on us as a people. But, he con- 
tinued, the time for deliberation is past. Every man is now 
called upon to show himself worthy of the country of his birth. 
It is fitting, then, that to-day, the young men who have come to 
this university to learn — to learn to be patriots he would hope — 
and who have everything at stake in this crisis, should show that 
they appreciate the inestimable blessings which they have inher- 
ited from a brave and noble ancestry. 



OF " BROWN. 2 3 

Bishop Clark said that eighty years ago the old Revolutionary 
flag waved over University Hall. It meant that our fathers were 
striving to establish the sacred institutions of a free government. 
The flag we raise to-day means that we intend to preserve those 
institutions. We deprecate war, he continued, especially civil 
war. All our interests, all our feelings are against it. But ene- 
mies have arisen among us. They have commenced the most 
wicked contest ever waged. We do not hate them, yet we can- 
not sit tamely by while they are endeavoring to destroy the very 
foundations of our political fabric. 

Bishop Clark was followed by the Rev. Dr. Hall, who said it 
was not a time when any one should be silent who loves his 
country and his God. We are all men of peace, he added, but 
here is a thing inevitable. It is government or no government. 
The South does not wish to go peaceably. If we have erred at 
all we have erred on the side of forbearance, but the past is gone. 
Let us show by our action that we continue to love our whole 
country. 

The hymn " My country, 'tis of thee," was then sung by the 
students. 

The Rev. Dr. Caldwell said that on the previous Sabbath he 
could not but feel it was a time for praying rather than for preach- 
ing. The time for words was now past, the time for deeds had 
come. Be assured, he added, that what we see going on around 
us is going on everywhere, from Mason and Dixon's line to the 
lakes. A conflict is impending, but we go into it, not in passion ; 
we simply seek to vindicate the honor of our country in restoring 
its rightful authority. 



24 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

Ex-Governor Dyer delivered the last address. He commenced 
by saying that in the whole course of his experience he had never 
been subject to such conflicting emotions as were passing through 
his heart at that moment. Yonder is our country's flag, and the 
chimes of our city are ringing out the national anthems ; but is it 
possible, he asked, that that flag and that music are needed to re- 
mind us that we are the citizens of one of the noblest nations of 
the earth ? We are called to contend with traitors, the victims of 
delusion ; all party distinctions, therefore, should be laid aside, 
and each man should be ready to make whatever sacrifices the 
honor of the country may demand. 

Such is a brief outline of the addresses which were delivered 
on this interesting occasion. They did not float away on the soft 
winds, then laden with the freshness of returning spring. There 
were those grouped upon the chapel steps, who then, as never be- 
fore, were " stirred with high hopes of living to be brave men and 
worthy patriots ;" and to whom the words at that time spoken 
were an inspiration for good, as in the years which followed, when, 
weary from long marching, watching, fighting, they recurred to 
them for added strength in entering upon fresh trials of endurance. 

Burnside had arrived in the city the day previous, and was 
already organizing the "First Rhode Island." While engaged in 
the business of his office in New York, he had received the fol- 
lowing dispatch : "A regiment of Rhode Island troops will go to 
Washington this week. How soon can you come on and take 
command ? William Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island." 
Both the answer and the answerer were ready. "At once," was 
the reply. Not a few from the several classes in the college en- 



OF " BROWN." 25 

tered its ranks. Brown, writing to his father that evening said, 
"To-night, as I see the streets thick with uniforms, it begins to 
seem like war. The excitement here is intense." 

About the middle of May, a military company, the University 
Cadets, was organized at the college, and consisted of seventy- 
eight men, rank and file. It is a fact worthy of notice, that dur- 
ing the Rebellion eight of its fourteen officers served with 
distinction in the Union armies. The campus in rear of the uni- 
versity afforded a suitable drill-ground, and such was the proficiency 
to which the company soon attained, that the tri-weekly drill of 
the Cadets attracted not a little public attention. 

Class-day occurred on June 13th. The class president, Mr. 
William W. Hoppin, was absent serving as a private in the First 
Rhode Island Volunteers. The president of the day, William W. 
Douglas, the class orator, Sumner U. Shearman, and the class 
poet, all afterwards entered the military service, and were mus- 
tered out with the same rank. In the afternoon of class-day, the 
University Cadets had their first public parade. The line was 
formed on the campus at three o'clock. Then preceded by Gil- 
more's (Pawtucket) full band, the company marched through the 
principal streets of the city, eliciting the praises of all for their 
soldierly bearing. Late in the afternoon, the Cadets visited the 
camp of the Second Rhode Island Volunteers, on Dexter Train- 
ing Ground, where in the presence of Colonel Slocum (who was 
killed at the battle of Bull Run in July following), they went 
through the form for dress parade. After receiving the con- 
gratulations of Colonel Slocum and of his officers, among whom 
were two sons of President Sears, the company marched down 
4 



26 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

Westminster street " in four ranks open order," and returned to 
the college. Still later in the day, the Cadets escorted the senior 
class to the Aldrich House, where the class supper was served. 

The year 1861 gradually wore away. Few expected that the 
Rebellion would long continue. But the disasters which in the 
months of May and June (1862) befell our army before Richmond, 
dissolved the dream of peace, and the question of duty became 
still more urgent to the students. Late in the month of May, 1862, 
almost as stirring scenes as those of April, 1861, were witnessed in 
Providence. Let us go back to May 25th, when, at midnight, a dis- 
patch from the secretary of war was received by the governor of 
Rhode Island, announcing the defeat of General Banks and calling 
for troops. At one o'clock a. m., May 26th, an order was issued for 
the organization of the National Guards for active service, and the 
next clay the regiment henceforth known as the Tenth Rhode Island 
Volunteers, left Providence for Washington under the command of 
Lieut. -Col. James Shaw, Jr. Company B, commanded by Ex-Gov. 
Elisha Dyer, was recruited almost entirely from the ranks of the 
several classes of the University and High School. Governor 
Dyer says, " The students could brook no restraint, and almost en 
masse came to our recruiting rendezvous for enrollment. It was a 
source of the deepest solicitude on the part of President Sears to 
know how far he was justified in resisting these resolute expressions 
on the part of the young men who had been placed under his protec- 
tion and instruction. The offering would not have been too large 
had he consulted his own feelings alone. But it was the widow's son, 
and the orphan's brother, who desired release. He came to me in 
the conflict of duty and enthusiastic patriotism, and telling me of 



OF " BROWN. 



2 7 



his embarrassment said, 'If you yourself will take these young 
men to the field, I can no longer refuse them.' I gave the pledge. 
The young men came, were enrolled, and without leaving the 
armory, entered upon the duties of soldiers. They all proved 
themselves worthy of their alma mater, and the sacred cause for 
which they enlisted. Always prompt, obedient and efficient, they 
won for themselves an honorable record. For no delinquency or 
misdemeanor did any name of theirs ever find a place on the 
morning report. On the muster out of the regiment, Sept. 1, 
1862, many of these young men immediately reentered the ser- 
vice, and as commissioned officers extended a record of which the 
University may well be proud." 

In our admiration for President Sears and the young men of the 
University to whom reference is made in the words just quoted, let 
us not forget that other son of the University, whose pure, self- 
sacrificing patriotism appears in his tribute to the worth of others ; 
who having received the highest honors in the gift of the people 
of Rhode Island, and when of an age which might claim exemp- 
tion from military duty, cheerfully abandoned the quiet delights of 
home at the call of his country, and took upon himself the labors 
and responsibilities of a captain of infantry. 

Class-day at Brown occurred June 12, 1862. Joshua M. Adde- 
man, the class orator, was at the time a private soldier in thecom- 
pany and regiment to which we have just referred ; but obtaining 
a short furlough he returned to Providence and delivered his ora- 
tion on the appointed day. His theme was "The Alliance of 
Scholarship and Patriotism." He introduced his subject with the 
following earnest words : 



28 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

" On this day, around which cluster memories and associations 
of the past, and fond hopes and anxious forebodings of the future, 
one thought transcends all others in importance. As if embodied 
in some fair form beseeching us for aid, our country rises before 
us, and excludes all minor and selfish considerations. No theme 
seems more appropriate to the day and of more vital importance 
in its bearing upon the future than "The Alliance of Scholarship 
and Patriotism." The orator accordingly proceeded to discuss the 
duties of the scholar with reference to the State, and then closed 
his address with the following eloquent words : 

" This is an age when events follow each other more rapidly 
than in the prophet's inspired visions ; when years are heaping up 
more for history than centuries of the past ; an age which con- 
verts a nation devoted to peace into a vast army bristling with 
bayonets, and marching with serried ranks to the field of battle ; 
which summons men of science and of letters from their experi- 
ments and their books, the lawyer from his brief, the instructor from 
his pupils, the preacher from his desk, and bids them gird on the 
sword, and hasten to the defence of the best, the freest, the hap- 
piest country on which the sun ever shone. Obedient to the 
call, classmates have hastened on before us to discharge the pa- 
triot's duty. In thunder tones their example speaks to us of 
courage, of manliness, of devotion to country. Let us see to it that 
we faithfully discharge our duties as ' ever in our great taskmaster's 
eye.' The benedictions of a grateful country will then rest upon 
our labors, and above all, the satisfaction of an approving con- 
science will be our exceeding 'great reward.' ' 



OF " BROWN. 29 

The class poet, H. F. Colby, sang of the power that a na- 
tion possesses in the remembrance of a glorious past. The poem 
closed with these thrilling sentences : 

" But these fond memories in the present hour 
Became the instruments of wondrous power. 
The guns of Sumter sent a startling thrill 
Through hearts still mindful of Bunker Hill: 
And April's tears wept o'er a war begun, 
As in the trying days of Lexington. 
An unseen spirit caught the naming brand, 
And swept on lightning wings the startled land. 
' Come from your homes, ye free! ' its trumpet cried, 
' Preserve the country of your father's pride.' 
And from the North, where sighing forests rise 
In state primeval to the bending skies. 
From granite hills, and battle-fields whose sod 
The feet of patriot heroes once have trod. 
From the bright shores of Narragansett'- bay. 
Along the silvery Mohawk's wending way. 
Soft as the rippling tide on Erie's shore, 
Loud as the tumult of Niagara's roar, 
From lakes majestic, from the Western plains, 
Rich in the billows of their ripening grains,— 
From every city's street and rural home, 
Came up that single answer : ' Yes, we come.' 
And thev did come. Potomac's wooded banks 
Gleamed with the bristling steel of serried ranks : 
The sentinel's strange voice was echoed there, 
And blazing camp-fires lit the evening air. 
From the foul dragon's teeth of civil strife 
A numerous army sprung to active life." 



30 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

"The patriotic history of Brown University during the War for 
the Union is one of which every student may well be proud, and 
in time to come her children will love her the more for what she 
was during the troublous times through which the nation has just 
passed." 

We conclude this sketch of "Brown" with brief tributes to the 
memory of two of her loyal sons, who served in the Tenth Rhode 
Island Volunteers in 1862. 

Matthew Mc Arthur Meggett,* class of 1 864, son of Alexander 
and Sarah Meggett, was born in Chicopee Falls, Mass., July 24, 
1836. The story of his life is but a simple record of the struggles 
of a poor boy, who desired the benefits of a liberal education, not 
so much for the sake of learning as to make it the means by 
which good could be accomplished. He early evinced an interest 
in the subject of religion, and deep religious feelings marked his 
whole life. It is natural that a young lad thus constituted, should 
look to the ministry of the Gospel as the proper sphere for his 
efforts in life, and that a Christian mother should hope to see 
such a son consecrated to the duties of the ministerial office. His 
father's death occurred when Matthew was but eight years old, . 
and his boyhood was necessarily devoted to manual toil, for 
the support of himself and of his aged mother. ... In the 
year 1842, his family removed to Slatersville, R. I., where Matthew 
was employed in a mill. After some years he united with the 
Congregational Church in that place. At length, in 1854, he 
entered Phillips' Academy at Andover, Mass. His letters home 
always evince persevering effort, filial affection and religious zeal. 

* Written by James \V. Colwell, B. U., 1S64. 



OF " BROWN. 



31 



"I am often discouraged," he says "when I see how much is to 
be done. I try, however, to look at the bright side, and am de- 
termined to struggle on. I have advantages beyond many others, 
and my trust is in God. I have been thinking of mother to-night. 
I hope she is not lonely. It often makes me feel sad to think 
that I have to leave her alone while I am here endeavoring to get 
an education." He entered Brown University in the fall of 1858. 
His limited means caused him much anxiety, and to increase 
them he gave instruction in the public evening schools of Provi- 
dence during the first winter. But these supplies did not prove 
adequate to his wants, so that he remained in college hardly a 
year at this time. Two years were then passed in teaching, 
mostly in Woonsocket, R. I. In the autumn of 1861 he resumed 
his studies at Brown, entering now the class of 1864. As at 
school, so in college, whatever he did was accomplished by perse- 
verance and industry. 

From the first breaking out of the Rebellion Meggett felt it his 
duty to enlist in the army, and at length, near the close of his 
Sophomore year, when there came from the President another 
call for men, he decided to go. Saturday, May 24, 1862, he wrote 
in his journal : " I have been thinking a great deal to-day about 
entering the service with those who enlist for three months. 
Ex-Governor Dyer goes on with a fine company from Providence, 
and I should like to go with him. He will have none but moral 
men in his company, it is said. I look upon my going as a duty. 
I shall be ashamed to say that I contributed nothing by way of 
personal sacrifice toward restoring my country." A day or two 
later, having grained the consent of his mother, he enlisted in 
Company B, Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers. 



32 THE COLLEGE BOYS 

On May 27th, the regiment left Providence, . . . and was 
assigned to garrison duty in the defences of Washington. Meg- 
gett writes to his brother: "Our 'mess' is mostly made up of 
college boys. We had a prayer-meeting Sunday afternoon, at 
which Captain Dyer and Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw were present 
and made remarks. It was an impressive meeting." In his last 
letter to his mother, written before he was taken sick, he speaks 
of his return home with pleasure, and lovingly plans what he will 
then do for her comfort and delight. 

On Sunday, August 10th, he went into the hospital a sick man. 
In a few days the disease assumed a graver form, and was pro- 
nounced by Dr. Wilcox typhoid fever, and he grew rapidly worse 
till the 18th, when he died, and a telegram was sent to his mother 
at Pawtucket, R. I. His bereaved friends could hardly credit the 
startling intelligence that he who had left them strong and 
vigorous had been cut down by death just on the eve of his return 
to the loved ones at home. The sad news was soon verified by a 
letter from the chaplain, Rev. Dr. Clapp. The body of the dead 
soldier was embalmed and forwarded to his friends. In accordance 
with the request of his company, the funeral services in Paw- 
tucket were delayed until their return home. 

The regiment arrived in Providence on the morning of Aug. 
28, 1862, and on the day following his funeral was solemnized in 
the Congregational Church, Pawtucket. His comrades in-arms 
were present to take part in those last sad offices of respect and 
affection. His pastor, Dr. Blodgett, President Sears, and the 
beloved chaplain of the Tenth Regiment, Dr. Clapp, all bore 
cheerful testimony to his faithful, earnest, devoted Christian life. 



OF " BROWN." 33 

And yet one more we mourn on our regimental roll of honor, 
Levi Carey Walker,* class of 1865. He was born in Hartford, 
Conn., Oct. 30, 1840. He was the son of Rev. William Carey 
and Aimer L. Walker. His boyhood gave promise of a well 
moulded life. At seventeen he entered the Connecticut Literary 
Institution at Suffield, from which he graduated with the highest 
honors of his class. In the ensuing fall he entered Brown Uni- 
versity with the class of 'sixty-five." He at once advanced to a 
high rank in scholarship, and engaged as heartily in the sports of 
the campus as in the duties of the class-room ; he also identified 
himself with the religious interests of the college. 

Thus the months of the Freshman year rolled away till May, 
'62, came, bringing with it the sickening news of disaster to the 
Union army. On the 25th, at midnight, came the pressing sum- 
mons for troops, and before the sun had set the Tenth Rhode 
Island was under marching orders. 

Here was the long-sought opportunity for Walker. For him the 
call had no uncertain sound. We quote from his diary : 

" Monday, May 26. A great struggle in my mind this morning. 
The country has called for men. I want to go. Cannot consult 
my parents. . . . Have at length enlisted, with a prayer that 
God will help me. . . . While busy packing my knapsack 
father came. He made no objection to my going, but felt rather 
bad." 

'•'Tuesday, 27. I have taken an important step, and am a sol- 
dier of the United States. Wrote mother. Started for Washing- 
ton." 

* Written by James McWhinnie, Jr., chiss of '67. 



34 



THE COLLEGE BOYS 



" My Dear Mother : There is no thought connected with my 
enlistment that gives me so much pain, as that I shall by thus 
doing increase your burden of anxiety and solicitude on my 
account. ... I have studied to make myself worthy of your 
affection and your sacrifices. I know I have often erred, but as 
often have I repented. I do not wish to go to Washington with- 
out your full, free hearty consent. . . . Never would I stir 
one foot against your wishes. But mother, many parents have 
given up their dear ones to bleed, yes, die in their country's cause. 
Many have gone forth from the paternal roof as dear and better 
fitted for life or death than I; and can you hesitate? I should 
think your bosom would swell with pride at the thought that you 
were represented in your country's struggle for liberty." 

On the morning of May 30th the regiment marched to Tenally- 
town, the sun pouring down its hottest rays. In his journal 
Walker writes : "Am somewhat lame after the long march. 
Spent the day hard at work pitching tents and throwing up em- 
bankments. Have been transferred with others to Company K, 
Capt. G. Frank Low." 

We find the first record of illness on Thursday, June 5th, in 
which he speaks of having had a serious hemorrhage. 

June 27th the regiment marched to Cloud's Mills, eighteen miles 
distant. Twelve miles Walker marched with the rest, but was 
then compelled to seek the ambulance. The regiment remained 
there for a short time, when it returned to the neighborhood of 
the forts on the northwest of Washington, marching nearly all 
nigrht. 



OF " BROWN. 



35 



The fatigue of this weary march broke down Walker completely. 
The dreaded hemorrhages again commenced, and he began to fear 
for his life. We read in his journal : 

"Monday, July 28. Reported at the hospital." 
"Thursday, August 4th. I feel very sad! The doctor gives 
me no encouragement. Life with its bright prospects to be given 
up! I can hardly curb my feelings. . . . To be cut clown so 
young ! O, God, I look to Thee ! " 

In a few days the Tenth was on its way to Providence, bearing 
the sick, discouraged soldier to his yearning friends. 

The last entry in his journal was on Thursday, August 28th : 

" Arrived this morning at Providence, both glad and sad. Sad 
that I was not able to march with my company — a deep disap- 
pointment." 

Such is the brief military career of Levi Carey Walker. He 
went to the field with as lofty a patriotism as ever inspired a 
Union soldier. He returned a mere wreck of his former self. 
Still he lived on, battling with a fatal disease, till Feb. 23, 1865, 
when the end came. The last words in his journal are: "How 
have my hopes been blasted ! Yet I thank God my trust is still 
firm in Him." His remains were borne to the cemetery by his 
classmates, and tenderly committed to their last resting-place. 
. . . He had not been permitted to go down in the bloody 
strife, but he gave to the country a youth and life full of all noble 
promise as truly as the slumbering hero of Stone River or of the 
Wilderness. 




RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 



i i '"T^HE people of Rhode Island are showing themselves to be eminently a 
1 military people. They have promptly done all that the government 
has asked of them for carrying on the war, and they have besides a large and 
efficient army organized for home service known as ' The National Guard of 
Rhode Island.' The martial spirit of the state is wisely encouraged and sys- 
tematically directed by men of practical military ability, and, as the result, the 
State of Rhode Island is better able to furnish her quota of troops for service 
abroad, and altogether better prepared to meet possible emergencies at home 
than are any of her neighbors." 



Nov. 21, 1S61. 



V* :.' London Chronicle. 



Rhode Island National Guard. 



'■ For we will guard it with our lives, 
And keep our armor handy, 
And sing the song our fathers sang 
Of Yankee Doodle Dandy! " 

— Ex-Mayor Wm. M. Rodman, 1861. 

THERE was a sad lack of military education and organi- 
zation in 1 86 1, when the President called for 75,000 men 
to serve for three months in the overthrow of the Re- 
bellion. Yet the noble response showed that the heart of the na- 
tion was loyal and true. Rhode Island was the first to offer the 
services of her citizens, and, after furnishing her full quota, she 
was the first to organize her National Guard. 

It is not surprising that with such a history as Rhode Island 
has, the idea should have early suggested itself of thoroughly or- 
ganizing and arming the entire able-bodied population, and put- 
ting" the State on a war footing, so that if, in crushing the Rebel- 
lion, disaster should come, the State could do what no other State 
has done, have every man capable of bearing arms, a soldier, ready 
for the emergency. 

Standing in the armory of the First Light Infantry, the night 
before the departure of the First Regiment, James Shaw, Jr., a 
young officer who afterward distinguished himself both in the 
State and national volunteer service, said to William S. Hayward, 



3§ RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

of the Sixth Ward, and since mayor of the city, " We don't know 
how soon the rest of us may have to go ; why not form ward com- 
panies, as they did in 1842, and learn to drill ? Call a meeting in 
our ward and I will do what I can to help you." This suggestion, 
thus early made, was heartily approved, and acted upon, and a 
meeting of the citizens for organization, was held on Thursday 
evening, May 9th, who voted to form a company for military drill, 
appointed a committee to nominate officers, and adjourned to Tues- 
day evening, May 14, 1861. At that meeting Hon. Henry T. 
Grant, alderman of the ward, was elected captain ; James Shaw, Jr., 
first lieutenant ; James A. Winsor, second lieutenant ; Thomas 
M. Brown, third lieutenant, and Hopkins B. Cady, first sergeant. 
Eighty men enrolled their names and a drill followed. 

Meanwhile the following notice had been posted in the First 
Ward : " We, the undersigned, of the First Ward, feeling that 
the present state of the country demands that every man of suit- 
able age should be prepared for any emergency, agree to meet two 
evenings in the week for the purpose of being thoroughly drilled 
by a competent military man, to be hereafter selected. All who 
wish to sign the above paper can do so by calling at Sweet & An- 
gell's." 

Wednesday, May 1, 1861, the First Ward Drill Corps organ- 
ized with A. Crawford Greene as captain. Seventy men were in 
line who commenced drilling that night in " the school of the 
soldier." 

April 23d. The Old Guard, Providence Artillery, was organ- 
ized, 100 strong. 

April 25th. The Old Guard, First Light Infantry, was formed. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 39 

April 26th. The "Cadets" invite all citizens who choose, to 
meet with them and become acquainted with "the school of the 
soldier." 

The towns of the State also were prompt to move in the matter. 

April 23d. The Narragansett Guards, of South Kingstown, were 
organized with 130 men. Colonel, Isaac P. Rodman; Lieutenant- 
Colonel, John N. Hazard. 

April 27th. The Pawtucket Home Guard Company was started, 
followed May 1st by the Natick Home Company, and May 9th by 
the Smithfield Company. 

May 10th the following Fifth Ward notice appeared in the Jour- 
nal : " Fifth Ward. — Citizens desiring to organize a company for 
drill will meet in the Ward Room on Richmond street, on Mon- 
day evening next. Capt. James C. Hidden has consented to serve 
as drill-master. Mr. Stephen Horton desires to be the first 'high 
private.' All patriots between the ages of 14 and 65 are requested 
to come forward." The company was afterward organized with 
Stephen H. Hall as captain. 

The same day the employes of the Corliss Steam Engine Works 
formed a company. 

May 16th. The Home Light Guard, Capt. Jacob Dunnell, of 
Pawtucket, organized with one hundred solid men, consisting of 
citizens of middle age. Arms and uniforms have been supplied. 

May 1 6th. The Slater Drill Corps, Capt. Henry F. Smith, Paw- 
tucket, was formed with seventy-five members, mainly young men. 

June 24th. Cud worth's Zouaves were organized in Pawtucket 
by a company of young men, who will exercise in the Zouave 
drill. Jesse Cudworth, Jr., captain. 



4-0 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

June i ith. The Burnside Zouaves were organized in Providence. 
Colonel, S. Smith Wells ; Lieutenant-Colonel, H. Herbert Shel- 
don ; Major, George T. Paine; Captain, William W. Paine ; Lieu- 
tenant, Nicholas B. Bolles ; Adjutant, Thomas W. Chace ; Quar- 
termaster, George H. Potter; Clerk and Treasurer, Asa Lyman. 
Among the corporals appear the names of George A. Winchester 
and Charles F. Anthony. A uniform was adopted consisting of a 
blue jacket, trimmed with orange, full red pants, gathered at the 
ankle, with a drab gaiter, a blue mixed undershirt, faced with red, 
and a white forage cap, trimmed with red. 

July 4th was celebrated with a spirit worthy of Independence 
Day. In Providence Col. A. Crawford Greene was chief mar- 
shal of the procession, which comprised, among other organiza- 
tions the First Ward Home Guards, Major Burlingame ; Uni- 
versity Cadets, Captain Mason (Brown University) ; Ellsworth 
Phalanx, Captain Lyman ( High School). In Warren, R. I., 
George Lewis Cooke, afterwards the genial quartermaster of the 
Ninth and Tenth regiments, and major of the Ninth, delivered an 
interesting address at the raising of "the Stars and Stripes" on 
the High School building. 

Sunday, July 28th, marked the brilliant reception of the First 
Regiment returning with Colonel Burnside from the seat of war. 
Among the receiving companies were the Burnside Zouaves, Col. 
S. Smith Wells ; Mechanics Rifles, Col. Jonathan M. Wheeler ; 
First Ward Home Guards, Major Burlingame ; Old Guard Light 
Infantry, Gen. James Shaw ; Pawtucket Light Guard, Col. Olney 
Arnold ; Pawtucket Home Guard, Capt. Jacob Dunnell. The reg- 
iment was received with great enthusiasm by our citizens. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 4 1 

August 6th, the Burnside Zouaves made an excursion to Smith's 
Palace, escorting Col. Ambrose E. Burnside from his residence to 
the steamer. They numbered about eighty, rank and file. Gov- 
ernor Sprague was also one of the guests of the day, and, in a brief 
address, congratulated the corps for the soldierly bearing of its 
members. It gave him great pleasure, he said, to see so many 
young men striving to perfect themselves in military science. 
There was a sad lack of that education which was demanded by 
the present crisis, and he trusted the countrv would never be 
found so lamentably deficient again. The people had come to 
realize that an efficient militia must be maintained. Our precious 
and dearest rights are in jeopardy ; let us prepare to defend 
them. 

August 7th. Lieut. John P. Shaw (a brother of James Shaw, 
Jr.,) left Providence for the front, with recruits for the Second 
Rhode Island Volunteers. This gallant officer lost his life in the 
battle of the Wilderness, May 12, 1864. 

September 6th. Meetings were held this evening in four of the 
wards of the city, and in Cranston, to promote the organization 
of drill corps. 

At the First Ward meeting patriotic addresses were made by 
the chairman, Alexander Duncan, Esq., Judge Thomas Durfee, 
Hon. Caesar A. Updike, Hon. Benjamin F. Thurston, Noble W. 
De Munn, and others. The meeting adjourned to Monday evening, 
September 9th, when the military organization was effected and 
the drill commenced. 

An interesting meeting was held the same evening in the 
Second Ward of citizens in favor of one or more companies for 
c 



42 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

military drill. Stirring addresses were made by Senator Anthony, 
Samuel Currey, Hon. Thomas A. Jenckes, John F. Tobey, and 
others. The subject was referred to a committee to report on the 
ioth instant, when the organization was effected with Col. Stephen 
T. Olney for captain, and Sergeant Dunham, of the Infantry, for 
drill master, meetings to be held in Franklin Hall. In this company 
the venerable teacher, John Kingsbury, carried his musket as lightly 
as a boy, and was not alone in the patriotic example thus set. 

A spirited meeting was also held in the Third Ward the same 
evening. Addresses were made by Speaker Caesar A. Updike, 
Benjamin N. Lapham and Abraham Payne. A committee was 
appointed to procure hall, muskets, etc. The company organized 
on the 13th instant after addresses by Hon. Benjamin F. Thurston, 
Rev. Augustus Woodbury and Col. Nicholas Van Slyck. 

Another meeting was held at this time in the Fifth Ward with 
Hon. Thomas A. Doyle, chairman. He stated that the object of 
the meeting was the formation of a new military organization in 
the ward, the previous one having failed through the refusal of 
the authorities to provide arms. The war spirit must be revived 
and kept up. The Rev. Mr. Clapp expressed his sympathy with 
the object of the meeting, and placed his name upon the rolls. 
"We have allowed ourselves to be taken unawares," he said, "but 
it is now the duty of every citizen to acquire that skill in the use 
of arms which we have forgotten by disuse." The venerable Dea- 
con Greene also joined the company. Stephen H. Hall was again 
chosen captain. 

In the Sixth Ward Company, Captain H. T. Grant resigned 
and First Lieut. James Shaw, Jr., was elected captain. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 43 

A meeting of the citizens of the Seventh Ward was very fully 
attended the same evening. Hon. Amos C. Barstow was chosen 
chairman. Stirring addresses were made by John Eddv, Rev. Mr. 
White, and Hon. Benjamin F. Thurston. It was voted to form a 
military company. At an adjourned meeting George B. Thomas 
was elected captain ; Henry W. Gardner and Jeremiah M. Yose, 
lieutenants. Drill meetings, Monday and Friday evenings. 

September 1 ith, the Home Batter}- was formed. About sixty 
men were drilled by Capt. William H. Parkhurst. First lieuten- 
ant, Samuel A. Pearce, Jr. ; second lieutenant, J. Henry Wil- 
bur; clerk, E. S. Cheney. 

September 13th, the Washington Continentals were organized at 
the armory of the Providence Artillery, Captain, Westcott Handy. 

September 16th. At the First Ward adjourned meeting a home 
guard company was organized, to meet Monday and Wednesday 
evenings for drill at the armory of the First Ward Light Guards. 

September 19th, a meeting of the State Military Committee 
was held in Providence to devise some feasible mode of organiz- 
ing drill corps in the various towns and cities of the State. Gov- 
ernor Sprague was chairman of the meeting. Able addresses 
were made by Colonels Henry Howard and N. Van Slyck, and by 
Rev. A. H. Clapp, urging the thorough organization of the entire 
population capable of bearing arms, and the cultivation of a proper 
military spirit. A committee of five was appointed, to report at a 
future meeting, as follows : His Excellency Governor Sprague, 
Colonels Olney Arnold, H. Howard, W. \V. Browne, and Nicholas 
Van Slyck. An adjourned meeting was held on Saturday morning, 
2 1st instant, at Franklin Hall, with Alexander Duncan chairman. 



44 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

The committee of five made the following report which was 
adopted in full : 

"The committee respectfully report the following recommendations : 

"That it is desirable that the formation of volunteer associations or compa- 
nies for military instruction be hastened in all the cities and towns of the State, 
and all able-bodied citizens, without distinction of age, or regardless of business 
engagements, urged to enroll themselves in some one of the companies. 

" That men of wealth throughout the State contribute liberally toward defraying 
the expenses attending the organization and maintenance of these associations, 
and that men of influence should give every possible encouragement to the 
work. 

" That the subject of a uniform be left entirely to each company to decide for 
itself, your committee earnestly recommending a cheap uniform. 

" That said companies be enrolled, placed, and governed, and their officers ap- 
pointed and commissioned, according to the provisions of sections 8, 9, and 10, 
of chapter 232, of the Revised Statutes. 

" That a military committee be appointed, with power to fill vacancies, whose 
duties it shall be to take measures for the formation of volunteer drill companies 
throughout the State; to provide such regulations for them as they may deem 
suitable, and to exercise a general supervision over them. That said committee 
have power to appoint a secretary or clerk, and to select a corresponding mem- 
ber from each town of the State and from each ward in the City of Providence. 

" That the following gentlemen constitute the said Military Central Commit- 
tee : William Sprague, Providence; William T. Barton, Warren; George W, 
Hallett, Providence; Peleg W. Lippitt, Cumberland; William Goddard, War- 
wick; Joseph P. Balch, Providence; Henry Staples, Barrington ; Walter S. 
Burges, Cranston; T. W. Wood, Newport; Horace Babcock, Westerly; 
Thomas A. Doyle, Providence; Henry Howard, Coventry; Olney Arnold, 
North Providence." 

Rev. Frederick Denison, of Central Falls, spoke of the influ- 
ence such organizations exerted. In Pawtucket and the adjoining 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 45 

villages the companies which had been formed had prepared many 
for the active regiments of the State, and deeply stirred the patri- 
otic feelings of the entire community. He hoped the subject 
would be pressed till every village should have its drill corps, and 
every citizen capable of bearing arms should be practiced in their 
use. Bishop Clark said : "We need an immense reserve force. 
The entire physical force of the State should be trained to back up 
its moral force. Our own State has been exalted, very much so, 
throughout the land. Wherever you go you hear the praises of 
Rhode Island. Our honor and prestige must be maintained. 
Let us organize ourselves and hold our State in readiness for any 
emergency. If reverses come, if, unfortunately, our arms should 
be beaten back, let us have a reserve force to fall back upon." 

September 24th, an important military meeting was held in the 
Fourth Ward in Unity Hall, for the purpose of organizing a drill 
corps. Hon. Elisha Dyer was elected chairman. Charles F. 
Phillips and George W. Prentice were chosen secretaries. The 
following resolution was adopted : 

" Whereas, The gigantic efforts put forth by the misguided and rebellious 
South in its attempt to overthrow and destroy the just and beneficent Union of 
the United States, renders it imperative upon every citizen able to shoulder a 
musket to familiarize himself at once with the manual of arms, thus forming, 
as it were, a school of instruction and a power of reserve, it is, therefore. 

"Resolved, That the citizens of the Fourth ward, animated with but one senti- 
ment and one impulse in the perpetuation and unity of the States, and believ- 
ing ' the gods help only those who help themselves,' do hereby resolve to aid, 
encourage and unite in the formation of the Fourth Ward Home Guards, thus 
assuring our sister wards that " the Fourth " gallantly and cheerfully closes up 
the column. 



46 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

Hon. Nicholas Van Slyck, in an eloquent address, showing the 
advantage and utility of these home organizations, said : " If 
disaster should fall, as possibly it may, upon our army, and the 
enemy should pass the Potomac, then will these drill corps become 
the stay of the government and the hope of the nation."' Hon. 
William W. Hoppin and Rev. Augustus Woodbury followed, both 
urging the importance of ward organization. Sixty-three names 
were enrolled. The entire third story of the Calender building 
was offered for a drill-room. Lieut. Charles F. Phillips wrote : 
" Ex-Gov. Elisha Dyer was elected captain, and at the following 
meeting more than a hundred men were in line, including two ex- 
governors, a prominent clergyman, besides merchants, bankers, and 
citizens, generally. Captain Dyer was a painstaking drill-master, 
fond of quoting Colonel Brown, of the Infantry, as supreme mili- 
tary authority, was exceedingly popular with his men, and the per- 
sonification of the soldier and gentleman. Settees were provided 
for the ladies, who rallied in large numbers, regardless of the 
weather. After the severe drill of an hour and a half, the order 
to 'Break ranks' was obeyed with alacrity, and our caterer, 'Gil 
Rawson,' was made doubly happy by the grand rush for his hot 
coffee and the 'fixins,' of which there was always an abundance. 
Refreshments over, 'John Brown' and other patriotic songs were 
sung, the ladies heartily joining." 

Thursday, September 26th, a meeting of the State Central 
Military Committee was held in Franklin Hall at 10.30 a. m.. 
Wednesday, September 25th, Colonel Hallet in the chair. Repre- 
sentatives from sixteen towns reported 1,930 men, who have alreadv 
attached themselves to the new volunteer organizations. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 47 

The following circular was adopted by the Committee: 

The State Central Military Committee, who have in charge the 
organization of the volunteer drill corps in this State, have de- 
cided upon the following rules and orders : 

Formation of Companies. It is particularly directed that every 
town and city in the State should immediately organize one or 
more military companies, of not less than 60 and not more than 
100, rank and file, to be called, " The National Guard of Rhode 
Island." In the smaller towns and villages the volunteers should, 
if practicable, unite to form together a full company. 

Officers. Each company shall elect one captain and three lieu- 
tenants, who will be commissioned by the Governor, according to 
the provisions of sections 8, 9, and 10 of chapter 232 of the Re- 
vised Statutes ; also, five sergeants and eight corporals, who will 
be appointed by the commanding officer. The commanding officer 
of each company will report to the Secretary of this Committee 
as soon as said company is organized, the names of his lieuten- 
ants, the number of men who hold themselves ready to parade at 
one day's notice, and the number of arms and equipments, if any, 
now in his possession. 

The Committee particularly request that the names of no men 
be registered as members of the volunteers who intend to parade 
with any of the chartered companies. 

Smaller bodies of men may be organized under the command of 
a first lieutenant. 

The Drill. The drill of the companies will be strictly the United 
States infantry tactics for the musket, as promulgated by the Sec- 
retary of War in the United States Tactics, published May 1, 1S61. 



48 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

Uniforms. The uniform of the Volunteers shall consist of a 
blue army cap, dark blue tunic and light blue pants. 

Arms and Equipments. As soon as the roll of the company is 
full, the Commandant will apply to the Secretary of this Commit- 
tee for the necessary arms and equipments. 

Object of the Organization. Every true patriot must readily 
perceive that it is of the utmost importance in the present crisis 
for Rhode Island to have, in addition to the force sent into the 
field, a "power of reserve." 

This volunteer organization is the school of the citizen soldier. 
Men acquire, both as officers and privates, a knowledge of military 
drill and tactics. It generates a military spirit, at home and 
abroad, so that should the occasion call upon us to defend our own 
soil, or, as is more probable, should any of us wish to enlist with 
the noble band who have gone forth to meet the foes of our 
country, we shall find ourselves ready. 

We call upon every able-bodied man in Rhode Island who is not 
attached to any other military company, to become a member of 
this organization, and give it his personal presence and support. 

Let it be manifest that the patriotism which was sealed by the 
blood of our fathers in the American Revolution, is alive to-day, 
and that we stand ready to defend and support the Union, the 
Constitution, and the laws of our country. 

WM. SPRAGUE, 

President State Central Military Committee. 
WM. E. Hamlin, 

Secretary. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 49 

November 7th. Several of the companies of the National Guard 
of Providence paraded this afternoon on the Dexter Training 
Ground for battalion drill. The line was formed at 3.30 p. m. by 
Captain Dunham, acting adjutant, and Lieut. C. S. Sweet, acting 
sergeant-major. The following companies were present : Second 
Ward, Capt. Charles H. Dunham ; Fourth Ward, Capt. Elisha 
Dyer; Fifth Ward, Capt. Stephen H. Hall; Sixth Ward, Capt. 
Hopkins B. Cady, and the Washington Continentals, Captain 
Westcott Handy. Acting Colonel James Shaw, Jr., assumed the 
command, receiving the customary honors as he took the position. 
The battalion was then exercised in various field movements and 
acquitted itself very creditably. At a little past five the line 
broke into column and moved from the parade down High and 
Westminster streets, under escort of the Horse Guards, Colonel 
Hallett. Colonel Shaw was much gratified at the success of the 
exhibition. He had long advocated the formation of battalions 
and the learning of battalion drill, and had made several trials 
with the Fifth and Sixth Ward companies. The Journal said, 
"The exhibition was, on the whole, very successful, and it will 
not be long before our people will possess enough of the military 
spirit and drill to gather, if necessary, a magnificent army of a 
million men. No effort should be spared to enlist in the State 
National Guard every able-bodied man. His Excellency the 
Governor enters warmly into the scheme, and has been untiring 
in his efforts to secure its accomplishment, until almost daily, 
throughout the State, fully seven thousand men have been under 
drill, and the name, 'The National Guard of Rhode Island,' has 
been adopted." 
7 



50 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

Another parade and drill of the Providence Guards occurred 
Thursday, November 21st. Five companies participated, with 
James Shaw, Jr., colonel; Charles H. Dunham, major; G.Frank 
Low, adjutant ; and Charles J. Sweet, sergeant-major. It has been 
finally decided by the military authorities that there shall be a 
parade and review of the entire volunteer and militia forces of the 
State, on Saturday, November 30th. 

December 2d. There was a grand parade and review of the 
reserve military forces of the State, on Saturday, November 30th. 

The clay was cold and stormy ; still about two thousand men 
were in line. The First Brigade was commanded by Brig.-Gen. 
Charles T. Robbins, as follows : Providence Horse Guards, Home 
Battery Light Artillery; First Regiment under the command of 
Col. William W. Brown ; Second Regiment under the command 
of Col. James Shaw, Jr., aided by the following officers : Lieut. - 
Col. Charles H. Merriman, Major Charles H. Dunham, Adjut. 
G. Frank Low, Sergt. -Major Charles J. Sweet. The companies 
were : American Brass Band, eighteen pieces ; Burnside Zouaves, 
Capt. H. Herbert Sheldon ; First Ward National Guards, Capt. 
A. Crawford Greene ; Second Ward, Lieut. Wm. S. Smith ; 
Third Ward, Capt. Wm. M. Hale ; Fourth Ward, Capt. Elisha 
Dyer; Fifth Ward, Capt. Stephen H. Hall; Sixth Ward, Capt. 
Hopkins B. Cady ; Seventh Ward, Capt. Charles R. Dennis; 
Washington Continentals, Capt. Westcott Handy, and the Ells- 
worth Phalanx, Capt. Daniel W. Lyman (High School). 

The Second Brigade was commanded by Brig. Gen. Wm. T. 
Barton, with Capt. Jacob Dunnell, aide-decamp, and Major Chris- 
topher Duckworth brigade major and inspector, as follows : Third 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 5 1 

Regiment, commanded by Col. Olney Arnold; Pawtucket Light 
Guard, Co. A, Capt. Robert McCloy; Pawtucket Light Guard, 
Co. B, Capt. Jesse Cud worth, Jr. ; Woon socket Guards, Captain 
Steere, 33 men ; Pawtucket National Guard, Lieutenant Bliss ; 
Woonsocket National Guards, Capt. C. L. Watson ; Lonsdale 
National Guard, Capt. Geo. Kilburn ; Georgiaville National Guard, 
Capt. Edward Steere ; Johnston National Guard, Capt. George 
Harris ; North Scituate National Guard, Capt. Moses F. Roberts ; 
Slatersville National Guard, Capt. Isaac Place ; Slatersville Union 
Guard, Capt. Philip P. Hall ; Slater Drill Corps, Pawtucket, 
Capt. Henry F. Smith ; Cranston National Guard, Capt. Albert 
C. Howard. 

Fourth Regiment, Col. Nicholas Van Slyck ; Kentish Artillery, 
Apponaug National Guards, Capt. Caleb Westcott ; Kentish Guards, 
Capt. E. H. Gardiner ; Pettaquamscot Infantry, Capt. Jervis Per- 
kins ; Narragansett Guards, Capt. L. H. Arnold; East Greenwich 
National Guards, Capt. George W. S. Allen ; Old Warwick Na- 
tional Guards, Capt. Christopher Wilcox. 

The line was reviewed by the governor between twelve and 
one p. m., after which the division moved clown Broadway, through 
the principal streets, to Exchange place, arriving about four p. M. 
The parade was then dismissed, and a collation was served in 
Howard and Phoenix Halls. 

The exhibition was so satisfactory that His Excellency the 
governor issued an order returning his thanks to the Rhode Island 
National Guard for their patriotism and determination to uphold 
the rights of the people and the honor of the government. The 
document is as follows : 



52 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

Headquarters Comdr.-ix-Chief of Militia. ) 

State of Rhode Island, &c, Providence, Dec. 2, 1S61. j 

To the National Guard : 

The commander-in-chief congratulates the National Guard of Rhode Island 
on their successful review of Saturday, the 30th ult. He thanks the Military 
Committee and the officers and men comprising this organization for exhibit- 
ing to the State and to the country that Rhode Island has far more defenders of 
our sacred cause at home than she has yet sent into the field. This display of 
patriotism and zeal is encouraging and cheering to her brave sons now in the 
service, and a warning to foreign foes who would trifle with a people now mak- 
ing superhuman efforts to preserve the rights and sustain the honor of a free 
government. It also signifies to those who are entrusted with the direction of 
our national affairs that no cause will be permitted to intervene to prevent an 
energetic and determined prosecution of the contest to which the whole heart 
of this great people is devoted. Rhode Island was the first to offer the services 
of her citizens in defence of the government and the L'nion. She was first to 
organize her National Guard. She will be the last to lay down her arms, nor 
will she do so till secession and rebellion shall have been subdued; till foreign 
powers shall have learned to respect our rights: till those have been taught to 
become good and loyal citizens, who, for party purposes or personal gain, 
would stay the progress of the great work; till rebels and traitors shall flee the 

wrath of an outraged and indignant people. 

WM. SPRAGLE. 

December 23d. An adjourned meeting of the line officers 
was held at Governor Dyer's office on Saturday evening, 21st 
instant, for the purpose of forming a city regiment. The Burnside 
Zouaves desired to be attached to the regiment as skirmishers, 
and their request was granted. The regiment is to be called The 
First Regiment National Guard of Rhode Island. 

The officers were elected as follows : Colonel, James Shaw, 
Jr. ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Charles H. Merriman ; Major, Charles H. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 53 

Dunham ; Adjutant, George Frank Low ; Quartermaster, Amos D. 
Smith ; Assistant Quartermaster, William E. Hamlin ; Commis- 
sary, William W. Hoppin ; Assistant Commissary, Joseph P. Man- 
ton ; Paymaster, William Vial) ; Assistant Paymaster, Thomas A. 
Doyle ; Surgeon, A. H. Okie ; Assistant Surgeon, William C. 
Beckwith ; Chaplain, Thomas M. Clark ; Sergeant-Major, Charles 
J. Sweet. 

The companies then drew for positions, which resulted as fol- 
lows : Company A, Fifth Ward; Company B, Fourth Ward; 
Company C, Seventh Ward ; Company D, Second Ward ; Com- 
pany E, Sixth Ward ; Washington Continentals ; Companies F 
and G, First Ward ; Company H, Burnside Zouaves. 

Feb. 22, 1862. The birthday of Washington was celebrated 
in Providence in a manner and spirit befitting the day. The 
Infantry paraded with full ranks at ten o'clock A. m. At 
twelve, m., the bells were rung for an hour, and a salute was fired. 
A special service was also held at noon, in the First Baptist 
Church, His Excellency Governor Sprague and staff being present. 
Washington's farewell address was read by Lieut. -Gov. Samuel 
G. Arnold. Dr. Francis Wayland pronounced the benediction. 
At two o'clock p. m., the First Regiment Rhode Island National 
Guard assembled on Exchange place and were formed in regular 
line, as follows : Company H, Burnside Zouaves, Col. William 
W. Paine. During the formation of the line they deployed as 
skirmishers. Company A, Fifth Ward, Capt. Stephen H. Hall ; 
Washington Continentals, Capt. C. Henry Alexander ; Company 
F, First Ward Drill Corps, Capt. Henry A. Webb ; Company C, 
Seventh Ward, Capt. H. W. Gardner; Company D, Second Ward, 



54 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

William S. Smith, lieutenant commanding ; Company G, First 
Ward Light Guard, Capt. A. Crawford Greene ; Company E, Sixth 
Ward, Capt. Hopkins B. Cady ; Company B, Fourth Ward, Capt. 
Elisha Dyer. The regiment was formed by Adjt. G. Frank Low, 
when Brig.-Gen. Charles T. Robbins assumed the command. 

The officers of the regiment were as follows : Colonel, James 
Shaw, Jr.; Lieutenant-Colonel, Charles H. Merriman ; Major, 
Charles H. Dunham ; Adjutant, J. Frank Low ; Sergeant-Major, 
Charles J. Sweet. 

At 2.30 o'clock the line was reviewed by His Excellency Gov- 
ernor Sprague, who was accompanied by his aids, Colonels 
Sprague, Gardner, and Harris, Adjt. -Gen. Mauran, with Captain 
Hoppin, of his staff ; Paymaster-General Knight, Captain Cran- 
dall, of the staff of the commanding general ; Quartermaster Smith, 
of the Marine Artillery, and Lieutenant Buckley, of Battery C. 

After the review, the line was thrown into column, and marched 
as per the programme laid down. The troops made an inspiring 
display. As the column passed the arsenal, the battery now re- 
cruiting was formed into line, and paid the honors of a salute, as 
did the Third Ward National Guard, drawn up on the sidewalk 
a short distance above. The regiment returned to Exchange 
place between five and six, and went through the formalities of 
dress parade, when the line was dismissed. 

The Third Ward National Guard, Capt. William M. Hale, pa- 
raded at two o'clock. They wore a uniform, regulation cap, a 
dark blue tunic and dark pants. They were very spirited after 
deciding to parade. The uniform was voted on Tuesday evening, 
and the cloth was bought on Wednesday morning. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 55 

OBSEQUIES OF RHODE ISLAND OFFICERS. 



" Can storied urn or animated bust 

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath? 
Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust. 

Or flattery soothe the dull, cold ear of death? '* 

— Gray's Elegy. 

March 31, 1862. The obsequies of Col. John S. Slocum, Maj. 
Sullivan Ballon, and Capt. Levi Tower, who fell at the Battle of 
Bull Run July 21, 1861, were publicly observed in Providence to- 
dav. The line was formed under the command of Brigadier- 
General Robbins and staff in the following order : His Excel- 
lency the Governor, William Sprague ; His Honor the Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, Samuel G. Arnold; aids and high military 
officers of the State and of United States Volunteers ; Providence 
Horse Guards ; American Brass Band ; First Regiment Rhode 
Island National Guard ; Col. James Shaw, Jr. ; Lieut. -Col. 
Charles H. Merriman ; Maj. Charles H. Dunham ; Adjt. G. Frank 
Low; Company A, Fifth Ward, Capt. S. H. Hall; Company B, 
Fourth Ward, Captain Elisha Dyer ; Company C, Seventh Ward, 
Capt. Henry W. Gardner ; Company D, Second Ward, Lieut. - 
Commanding William S. Smith; Company E, Sixth Ward, Capt. H. 
B. Cady ; Company F, First Ward, Capt. H. Webb ; Company G, 
First Ward Light Guard, Capt. A. C. Greene ; Company H, 
Burnside Zouaves, Capt. W. W. Paine ; Battalion of Infantry, 
Col. Josiah Whitaker ; Old Guard Providence Artillery, Capt. 
William Jackson ; Sarsfield Guards, Captain Corcoran ; Sowamsett 
Guards, Warren, Capt. Frank S. Brown ; Barrington National 



56 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

Guards, Capt. Henry Staples ; Portsmouth National Guards, Capt. 
Alonzo B. Tallman ; Pettaquamscot Light Infantry, Kingston, 
Capt. Elisha C. Clark; Regiment of Infantry, the funeral escort 
of Col. John S. Slocum, under the command of Colonel Brown ; 
hearse and pall bearers ; caparisoned horse led by groom ; detail 
of officers from the Second Regiment, R. I. V. ; First Light In- 
fantry, Company A, Capt. L. C. Warner ; First Light Infantry, 
Company B, Capt. C. R. Dennis ; University Cadets, Capt. G. T. 
Woodward ; Providence Artillery, Capt. J. R. Holman ; Ellsworth 
Phalanx (High School), Capt. D. W. Lyman ; National Cadets 
and Mechanics Rifles ; Third Ward National Guard, Capt. 
William M. Hale; Pawtucket Home Guards, Lieut. -Commanding 
Albert Bliss ; Battalion of Infantry, the funeral escort of Maj. 
Sullivan Ballou, under command of Maj. Henry T. Sisson; hearse 
and pall-bearers; Maj. Albert S. Gallup and others; Woonsocket 
Guards, Capt. Charles H. Watson ; Slatersville Drill Corps, Capt. 
Isaac Place ; Pawtucket Light Guard, Company B, Captain Cud- 
worth ; Pawtucket Light Guard, Company C, Captain Smith ; 
one company of Infantry, the funeral escort of Capt. Levi Tower; 
Pawtucket Light Guard, Company A, Capt. Robert McCloy ; 
hearse and pall-bearers. 

Arriving at the cemetery at Swan Point, the funeral service 
was conducted by Bishop Clark, and, at its conclusion, three 
volleys were fired. The column was then reformed and pro- 
ceeded to Dexter Training Ground, and passed in review before 
His Excellency the Governor, after which it marched down High 
and Westminster streets to Exchange place, where it was dis- 
missed. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 57 

Memorial to Lieut. H. A. Prescott, Killed at Bull Run, 

July 21, 1S61. 



In March, 1862, when Governor Sprague went to Manassas, a 
special commission of three was sent by the Providence Light 
Infantry to look for the remains of Lieut. Henry A. Prescott, 
killed July 21, 1861, but their search for his grave was unsuccess- 
ful. A beautiful mural tablet has been erected to his memory in 
the chapel of Grace Church, with the following inscription : 

lieutenant henry a. prescott. 

Born November 10th, 1S23. 

Killed in the Battle of Manassas Plain, Virginia, 

July 21, 1S61. 

The Christian, the Patriot, the Good Soldier of 

Jesus Christ. 

In all his relations, by inflexible devotion to Truth, 

and Duty, he illustrated his Faith. 

At his Country's call, in defence of her Constitution 

and Nationality, he laid down his life. 

This Tablet is erected by the Teachers and Scholars of 

Grace Church Sunday School, as an expression 

of esteem for the worth and gratitude 

for the example of their associate 

and Constant Friend. 

Mr. Prescott left a wife and five children, a mother and one- 
sister to mourn their irreparable loss. 



58 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

On the 1 2th day of April, 1867, the first Post of the Grand 
Army of the Republic in the State was organized under the name 
of Prescott Post No. 1, of the District of Providence, Depart- 
ment of Rhode Island. Lieutenant Prescott's army cap, with the 
bullet holes plainly visible, is sacredly preserved at the Post Head- 
quarters. Four of the commanders of Prescott Post belonged to 
the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, viz. : James Shaw, Jr., com- 
mander, 1867; William Stone, 1871-72 ; William E. Taber, 1874; 
William A. Spicer, 1890. 



Thanks to the Rhode Island National Guard. 



State of Rhode Island, &c. 

Adjutant General's Office, 



General Orders JVo. 2. 



Providence, April 7, IS62. ) 



The Commander-in-Chief presents his thanks to Brig. Gen. Charles T. Rob- 
hins and staff for their signal efficiency in conducting the funeral ceremonies 
in honor of the martyred heroes of Rhode Island, the lamented Colonel Slo- 
cum, Major Ballon and Capt. Tower, who were killed in the battle of " Bull 
Run," July 21, 1S61. 

To the several military organizations composing the Second Brigade, for their 
full ranks and promptness. 

To the First Regiment " National Guard," Colonel Shaw ; Providence Light 
Battery, Old Guard Providence Artillery, Ellsworth Phalanx (Providence High 
School), University Cadets, Sarsfield Guards, Pettaquamscot Light Infantry, 
Barrington National Guards, Sowamsett Guards, Portsmouth Guards, Third 
Ward National Guard, and Slatersville Drill Corps for their voluntary attend- 
ance, with large numbers, adding so much to the efficiency and appearance of 
the column. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 59 

To the Providence Horse Guards, Colonel Hallett, for their escort. 

The Burnside Zouaves added much to the impressiveness of the solemn oc- 
casion, guarding the remains while lying in state. It will ever be to them a 
proud satisfaction that in the early days of their history this sacred duty fell 
to their lot. 

Thus Rhode Island honored those dead heroes as the sainted representatives 
of her living soldiers. While Rhode Island wept for the fatal past, her heart 
also beat proudly for the future. Her prayer is that a crushing retribution will 
speedily overwhelm the perpetrators of the gross indignities to her favorite 
sons, and that her own brave soldiers, and the soldiers of her sister States, will, 
with strong will and ready steel, cpnckly cancel the brutal outrages inflicted 
upon the lifeless bodies of these children of our common country. 
By order of the Commander-in-Chief. 

EDWARD C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant-General. 

April 1 8, 1862. The First Regiment Rhode Island National 
Guard, Colonel James Shaw, Jr., paraded this evening with full 
ranks. Everything passed off most satisfactorily. 

April 19th. The Third Ward National Guards are now desig- 
nated as the What Cheer Guards. They have been presented 
with an elegant silk standard by the ladies of the ward. 

May 8th. Annual election of officers Company E, Sixth Ward, 
First Regiment Rhode Island National Guard : Captain, Hopkins 
B. Cady ; Lieutenants, Ezra R Bullock, C. F. Phillips, Stephen 
Thurber; Clerk, F. N. Seabury ; Treasurer, C. F. Phillips; Cor- 
porals, Orsmus A. Taft, Frank Holden, C. Stone, Alfred Cady, 
and others; Drummer, Henry H. James ; Armorers, Ira R. Wil- 
bur, W. A. Greene. 

May 17th. Annual election Company A, Fifth Ward, First 
Regiment Rhode Island National Guard : Captain, Wm. E. Ta- 



60 RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 

ber, Jr., vice S. H. Hall, resigned; Lieutenants, Joseph L. Ben- 
nett, Jr., Leander C. Belcher; Sergeants, William A. James, A. R. 
Peck, John W. Briggs, W. C. Barker, Albert C. Winsor. 

May 25th, Sunday. At midnight the urgent summons came 
for volunteers for the defence of the Capital, and from the First 
Regiment Rhode Island National Guard, bound together by no 
legal ties, subject to no military orders, simply banded together 
to learn the duties of the soldier, sprang to arms the Tenth 
Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers. Called together at 9 o'clock 
a. m. on the 26th, by 7 p. m. of the same day 613 men had placed 
their names upon the roll of service to their country. 

The response of the town companies of the Rhode Island 
National Guard was equally prompt, and from them was organ- 
ized the Ninth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, which left for 
Washington with the Tenth the clay after the call. The com- 
panies were : The Lonsdale National Guard, Capt. John Mc- 
Kinley ; Natick National Guard, Capt. John A. Bowen ; the Paw- 
tucket Battalion and Westerly National Guards. 

The Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, included the 
following city companies : First Ward Light Guards, Capt. A. 
Crawford Greene ; First Ward Drill Corps, Capt. Benjamin W. 
Harris ; Second Ward National Guard, Capt. Charles H. Dunham ; 
What Cheer Guards, Third Ward, Capt. William M. Hale ; Fourth 
Ward National Guard, Capt. Elisha Dyer; Fifth Ward National 
Guard, Capt. William E. Taber, Jr. ; Sixth Ward National Guard, 
Capt. Hopkins B. Cady ; Seventh Ward National Guard, Capt. 
Theodore Winn ; Burnside Zouaves, Capt. Christopher Duck- 
worth. 



RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD. 6 1 

The first detachment of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments, 
Rhode Island Volunteers, left for Washington Tuesday afternoon, 
May 27th, and numbered upwards of one thousand men. It was 
quickly followed by the Tenth Light Battery, in three detach- 
ments. More volunteers for the Ninth and Tenth regiments from 
the National Guard were soon in the city awaiting marching or- 
ders, and the second detachment for those regiments started for 
Washington May 29th. 

The history of the War for the Union presents no prouder ex- 
ample than we have recited, of prompt and patriotic response to 
the call of duty. Within thirty hours after the call, two regiments 
of infantry and a battery of artillery were organized, armed, and 
equipped. The novelty and excitement attending the first call for 
troops had largely subsided, and the days of liberal bounties had 
not yet come. 

But men were needed at once. The order of the governor 
showed how pressing he deemed the emergency, and, as the news 
flashed along the wires, men leaped from their beds and hastened 
to the places of rendezvous. It was no night for sleep. Messen- 
gers on horses transmitted the alarm from hand to hand. City 
repeated it to town, and town to village, till the entire country 
was aroused. Well may the Rhode Island National Guard be 
proud of its record, for the emergency found it " ready and willing." 
Well was it for Rhode Island that she had in reserve such a noble 
organization to come forward when needed to the help of our 
armies in the field. 

Let no one who saw it ever despair of the Republic. 




J&*> 



r~- 



cr/*fcttL> /\*~c--^-£'- 






THE 



|!INTH AND TENTH Q. I. KOLUJTEERJ 



AND THE 



TENTH R. I. BATTERY. 




Of all the true host that New England can boast, 

Far down by the sea, unto highland. 
No State is more true, or willing to do, 

Than dear little Yankee Rhode Island : 
Yes, you're loyal and true, little Rhody, 
Then all honor to you, little Rhody, 
Governor Sprague, was not very vague, 
When he said. ' Shoulder arms, Little Rhody ! ' ' 

— Old -war song. 

The Capiiol in 1862. 

ON the 25th of May, 1862, at midnight, a dispatch was 
received by Governor Sprague, announcing that the 
enemy in great force were marching on Washington, and 
calling for every available man to rally to its defence. Just an 
hour later the governor issued an order for two regiments of 
infantry, and a battery of artillery for immediate service. The 
response was prompt and the ranks quickly rilled ; marching- 
orders were given, and the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island Volun- 
teers and the Tenth Rhode Island Battery promptly reported for 
duty at the Capital. 



64 NINTH AND TENTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS 

In order to understand the military situation in Virginia, at this 
time it will be necessary to go back a little. 

The whole campaign of 1861, beginning with Bull Run, had 
been discouraging, and the winter passed away without further 
active service except picket duty. But in March, 1862, the Con- 
federates having been defeated at Winchester, and, having fallen 
back from Manassas to a new line of defence on the Rappahannock, 
the Army of the Potomac was in motion. It was conveyed by water 
from Alexandria to Fortress Monroe, and marched up the Penin- 
sula to attack the rebel capital. Although resisted at Yorktown 
and Williamsburg, it pressed steadily forward, till on the 21st 
of May it was within a few miles of Richmond. Meanwhile, 
McClellan had sent repeated calls for reinforcements from Mc- 
Dowell's corps of 40,000 men, which had been withheld for the 
defence of Washington, and, on the 17th of May, President 
Lincoln telegraphed, "At your urgent call for reinforcements 
McDowell is sent forward, but is not in any event to uncover 
Washington." 

Unfortunately for the delay, a disturbing element now appeared, 
which not only prevented the junction of McDowell with McClel- 
lan, but totally disarranged all the well-laid Union plans in Vir- 
ginia. Early in May, Stonewall Jackson (whose daring activity 
was worth an army to the Confederates) left his position before 
Richmond with a force of twenty thousand men, and made one of 
his brilliant raids up the Valley of the Shenandoah. Falling like a 
hammer on General Banks's little army at Winchester, on the 24th, 
he sent it whirling before him across the Potomac, and threatened 
the city of Washington. Great was the alarm and consternation. 



AND TENTH R. I. liATTERV. 



65 



McDowell was ordered back when within a day's march of Mc- 
Clellan. The President took military possession of the railroads, 
and, on the 25th, Secretary Stanton issued orders calling upon the 
militia of the loyal States to defend the Capital. 



SR^ 




^^•Vu.^o^o 



The following is the despatch sent to 
the Governor of Rhode Island : 

Washington, May 25, 1S62. 

To the Governor of Rhode Island: 

Intelligence from various quarters leaves no doubt 
that the enemy in great force are advancing on 
Washington. You will please organize and for- 
ward immediately all the militia and volunteer 
forces in your State. 

Signed, EDWIN M. STANTON, 

Secretary of War. 

Later a second despatch was received from Washington by 
Governor Sprague : 

Send all the troops forward that you can immediately. Banks is completely 
routed. Enemy are in large force advancing upon Harper's Ferry. 

Signed, EDWIN M. STANTON. 

Secretary of War. 

Just an hour later the Governor issued the following order : 

Providence, May 25, 1S62. 

Citizens of the State capable of bearing arms will at once report themselves 
to the nearest military organization. The commandants of the chartered 
and volunteer military companies, will at once organize their companies and 
the men so reporting, into companies of eighty-three men, rank and file, and 
report to their headquarters, where they will be armed, equipped and moved 
9 



66 



NINTH AND TENTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 



C\tl£Ia. c<*^i 



W<3 Cj^iAj, 



under the direction of the Commander-in-chief, 
to Washington, to protect the National Capital 
from the advance of the rebels, who are now 
rapidly approaching. 

Gen. Robbins is directed to organize and com- 
mand the first regiment, and will order his 
brigade under arms, and form it into a regiment. 
The second regiment will be under command 
of Capt. Bliss, of the United States Army. 

The Providence Marine Corps of Artillery 
will be placed under the command of Lieut. -Col. 
E. C. Gallup, as Captain, and he is directed to 
organize the same. 
Col. Shaw is ordered to assemble the National Guard for organization. 
Rhode Island troops will move through Baltimore, and if their progress is 
impeded by the rebel mob of that city they will mete out to it the punishment 
which it has long merited. 

Our regiments will move to Washington to defend the Capital in common 
with thousands of our patriotic countrymen who will rush to arms to ward oft" 
the danger which is imminent. 

WM. SPRAGUE, 
Aug, Hoppix, Governor. 

Ass 1 / Ad//. General. 




The alarm thus indicated aroused every loyal heart, and the 
excitement was almost as tumultuous as when Sumter was fired on 
a year before. The response was equally prompt and worthy of the 
State, and demonstrated that our citizens are fully impressed 
with the patriotic duties of American citizenship, and ready to dis- 
charge them in time of peril. Within an incredibly short space of 
time, the Ninth and Tenth Regiments of Volunteers, and the Tenth 
Light Battery were organized and started for Washington. 



The Ninth Regiment 



R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 




T 



Picket Duty near Tennallytown. 



HE Ninth Regiment 
Rhode Island Volunteers 
was organized from the 
volunteer companies of the 
State National Guard, together 
with the chartered and other 
companies, not including the 
Providence National Guard, first 
reporting for duty under the 
following special order : 

Adjutant-Genekal's Office, 

Providence, R. I., May 23, 1S62. 

Commandants of the several military companies of the State will immediately 
assemble their respective commands at their usual places of rendezvous, and 
report one company minimum standard from each organization, to the office of 
the Adjutant-General, for three months' service in Washington. 
By order of the Commander-in-Chief. 

Signed, E. C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant- General. 

This special call for troops was made to meet a threatened 
attack upon the National Capital. 



68 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

During the same month of May, 1862, the rebel Gen. Thomas 
J. Jackson, familiarly known as "Stonewall," with a large body 
of men, made a sudden raid upon the Valley of the Shenandoah, 
routed the weakened army of General Banks, at Winchester, and 
threatened the safety of Washington. In view of actual and pos- 
sible needs, the Secretary of War sent, on the 25th of May, a 
telegram to the Governor of Rhode Island, calling for the imme- 
diate forwarding to the National Capital, of all the available 
troops in the State, to serve in the defences for a period of three 
months. This telegram was received by Governor Sprague at 
midnight, and before sunrise measures had been taken to comply 
with the call. The spirit of the people was well represented by 
this prompt action of the Executive. The excitement and enthu- 
siasm was as intense as when the integrity of the nation was first 
threatened, and affected alike all classes. The Rhode Island 
National Guard, then for some time organized, furnished an 
ample reserve from which to draw the State's proportion of the 
new levy. Volunteers came pouring in with great rapidity, and in 
two days the Lonsdale National Guard, the Natick National 
Guard, the Westerly National Guard, and Pawtucket Battalion 
(two full companies), Company A, Pawtucket Light Guard, and 
Company H, which was composed of the Slater Drill Corps and 
the Cudworth Zouaves, and companies from Newport and Woon- 
socket, were reported for duty, and left Providence May 27th, for 
Washington, as the Ninth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers. 
The second detachment of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments, under 
command of Col. Zenas R. Bliss, of the Tenth, followed May 29th, 
thus in four days completing their organization, and commencing 
their journey to the field of duty. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



6 9 




The Ninth Regiment was organized by 
Col. Charles T. Robbins, who accompanied 
it to Washington. It was subsequently 
placed under the command of Col. John T. 
Pitman, whose commission bore date July 3, 
1862. Colonel Pitman had previously seryed 
as captain of Company G, First Rhode Island 
Detached Militia, in 1861. He was appointed 
major of the Ninth, May 26, 1862; lieuten- Coi. John t. Pitman. 

ant-colonel, June 9, 1862, and colonel, Jul}' 3, 1862, and was mus- 
tered out Sept. 1, 1862. He afterwards seryed as lieutenant- 
colonel of the Eleyenth Rhode Island Volunteers, Oct. 1, 1862, 
and was mustered out of seryice, July 13, 1863. 

The Ninth Regiment left Proyidence Tuesday afternoon, May 
27th, by rail for New York, amidst cheers and shouts and farewell 
waving of handkerchiefs. But the sad parting was apparently 
soon forgotten, for the boys shouted, and sang, and laughed at 
each other's jokes the greater part of the way. There was little 
sleep on the way that night. Some tried to rest as best they 
could in the crowded steamer, but this was well nigh impossible. 
About breakfast time the regiment arrived in New York where 
"rations" were served. After some delay the line of travel was 
resumed for Philadelphia, crowds cheering the volunteers at all 
the stopping places. It was late in the afternoon when the long 
train rolled into the passenger station of the Quaker City, and 
the men, tired and hungry, landed at the foot of Washington 
Square. A splendid reception was now tendered them with an 
invitation to a banquet at the rooms of the Cooper Volunteer 



/O THE NINTH REGIMENT 

Refreshment Association, on Otsego street. This welcome news 
was received with a shout. The hospitable invitation was accepted 
with alacrity, and with a profusion of thanks that came from the 
innermost recesses of their drooping hearts, the companies fell 
into line, one of the men saying, "Hard tack may taste good some- 
times, but it must be when a feller's real hungry an' ain't got 
nothin' else to eat. I reckon some soft bread, and cake, and 
coffee, will taste better to us just now." The progress of the Ninth 
to the " Cooper Shop " was a perfect ovation. " We were welcomed 
all the way," wrote one of the men, "like conquering" heroes return- 
ing from victory, rather than a weary band of raw recruits, moving 
to the assistance of our comrades at the Capital. On our arrival 
we were liberally supplied with towels, water and soap, and after 
washing our hands and faces we felt greatly refreshed. Then we 
filed into the long dining-room and partook of an excellent colla- 
tion, consisting of cold chicken and ham sandwiches, hot coffee, 
and other delicacies ; and didn't it all go good, served by the hands 
of the ladies of Philadelphia, who did everything in their power to 
make our stay pleasant and make us feel at home. We filled not 
only our stomachs but our haversacks also, and after conveying 
our grateful acknowledgments, for what seemed hardly less than 
a royal banquet and reception, some of us started out to get a view 
of the city. It was about this time that one of the captains of 
the Ninth met with an interesting experience. He had gone on 
ahead, a little way up the street, when pausing for a few moments, 
deeply absorbed in tender memories of home — a trifle homesick 
he afterwards admitted, — he heard the voice of a child behind 
him to which, at first, he gave no heed, till it appeared to come 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



71 



nearer, 'Soldier!' Turn- 
ing he beheld a charming 
little girl looking up into 
his face, and holding" out a 
pretty flower, saying, ' Sol- 
dier, this is for you ! ' The 
captain gratefully accepted £$B\ 
the sweet remembrance , j*f p\ \W^3^ '/$r*»At 
with many good wishes for 
the child, and returned to 
his company greatly com- 
forted by this little inter- 
view. To one who has 
never left kindred and 
friends, perhaps never to 
return, this little incident The Cap;am Sur P rlsed - 

may appear trivial, but to those on their way to the enemy's country, 
to face the stern realities of war, experiences like this told plainer 
than words the depth of that loyalty in the young as well as the 
old, which did much to cheer the heart of the soldier, and made an 
impression on his memory more lasting than the stirring words 
of the patriotic orator. Soon the order came to 'fall in' for the 
march to the Baltimore depot, and amidst mutual cheering and 
shouting the column moved off. After quite a long march came 
the welcome order, 'All aboard for Baltimore !' It was after dark 
when the eager men packed themselves into the cars. The engines 
whistled and puffed, the bells rang, the people hurrahed and waved 
hats and handkerchiefs, and the boys of the Ninth put their heads 
out of the windows and yelled, as the train moved off at last, with 




72 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

Washington only a hundred and forty miles away. The regiment 
arrived at Baltimore on the morning of the 29th, pretty well fagged 
out, and the boys thought on the whole they had had a pretty rough 
night of it. There was no such reception as at Philadelphia. No 
opposition was made to the march of the regiment across the city 
to the Washington depot, as had been anticipated. But none of 
the men, women or children, came out to welcome them. No, the 
people maintained a perfect silence as the column moved on to the 
rooms of the Union Relief Association, 120 Eutaw Street, where a 
free collation had been provided ; some of the men also feasted 
on strawberries at fifteen cents per quart, nice ones, too. 

"At two o'clock in the afternoon," wrote one of the men, "we 
left the Monumental City, with Washington only forty miles away. 
On the route we passed Annapolis Junction, rendered famous in 
song and story by the march of the First Rhode Island Regiment 
a year before, when ''twas only nine miles to the junction.' 
There was a good deal on the way to interest us, Perryville, Havre 
de Grace, and other places, but we were just beginning to tire of 
the long ride, standing up, sitting down, and lying around, when 
the great unfinished dome of the capitol loomed up into view, 
above the hills, and we knew that we were nearing our destina- 
tion." As the men alighted from the train at five o'clock p. m., 
they found themselves surrounded by many reminders of the war. 
During a long delay here, doubtless caused in waiting for orders, 
some of the men stole away into the city, and reported soldiers 
everywhere, and the streets full of wagons loaded with army sup- 
plies of all kinds. Everything was bustle and confusion such as the 
eyes of these new soldiers had never looked upon before. The 
regiment remained that night in Washington at the barracks, near 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 73 

the depot, and subsisted on the ''army rations" dealt out to them, 
but they had neithersupper nor breakfast the next morning worthy 
of the name. How be it, there was no immediate danger of starva- 
tion, after the supply which they had stored away during their stay 
in Philadelphia and Baltimore, at the Union refreshment saloons. 
Marching orders soon arrived, and on the morning of the 30th 
the regiment took its line of march up Pennsylvania avenue, mak- 
ing a halt near the White House. One of the men wrote home : 
"We were halted for a few minutes near the President's house — 
and I thought I would jot down a few lines, — but the thread of 
my narrative was rudely severed by the order ' Fall in ! ' and we re- 
sumed our march under a scorching sun, through dust ankle-deep, 
and of a degree of fineness and penetration which beggars descrip- 
tion. On we marched out of Washington, and through George- 
town, and towards night reached our present quarters near Ten- 
nallytown. Just as we arrived here after our six-mile tramp we 
were favored with a drenching rain, which converted the dust 
upon our persons and garments into a very fine paste, and has 
made us ornamental as well as useful members of society. Just 
after dark we pitched our tents and 'turned in ' upon the ground, 
somewhat wet, but upon the whole very comfortable. Tennally- 
town appears to be a collection of two blacksmith shops, a hotel, 
a small church, a post-office, and a toll-gate about three miles 
beyond Georgetown. High street in Georgetown leads directly 
to it." The Ninth Encampment was located just beyond the toll- 
gate, in a beautiful grove of oaks, which had been occupied for 
some time previous by Pennsylvania troops, and it was laid out 
with rows of white Sibley tents in straight lines, with streets of 
10 



74 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




equal width between. By General Or- 
ders Number One, it was named " Camp 
Frieze," in honor of the Quartermaster 
General of Rhode Island. Officers' 
quarters, in square tents, were at the 
head of the camp, nicely shaded by 
I great oaks. Afterward the streets of the 
camp were finely graded, with their 
names printed on neat signs. Many of 
the tents were named also. One was 
called the " Miller House," corner of Rhode Island and Boston ave- 
nues, and next door was the " Foster House," then the " Pawtucket 
Hotel." On the 6th of June the regiment was sworn into the ser- 
vice of the United States. It formed a part of the brigade of 
General Sturgis, who had been recently called to Washington to 
assist Genera] Wadsworth, the military governor, and who was 
given command of the fortifications around the city. 

Several interesting official orders have been preserved: 



Gen. Samuel P. Sturgis. 



GENERAL STURGIS'S ORDERS. 



Headquarters College Villa, 

Tennallytown, D. C.. June 4, 1S62. 
Gt n< ral Orders Xo. g. 

I. The commanders of camps will allow none of the men in their respective 
commands to pass beyond the lines of their camps without a special permit from 
said commanders. 

II. The attention of commanding officers is called to Article 41 of the rules 
and articles of war which reads as follows: 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 75 

"All non-commissioned officers and soldiers who shall be found one mile 
from the camp, without leave, in writing, from their commanding officer, shall 
suffer such punishment as shall be indicted upon them by the sentence of a 
court martial." 

15 v order of 

Brigadier-General STURG I S, 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Caft. and A. A. G. 



Headqi vrters College Villa, 

Texnallytowx, 1). C, June 4. 1S62. 
Colonel Robbies, 

Com'dgqth and jo/// J\ . 1. RegHs. 

Sir: You will please detail pickets for to-night, as on previous nights, and 
henceforth until further orders. 

I have received no consolidated morning reports from your command for the 
last two mornings. Please have one made out for to-day and on each morn- 
ing hereafter. 

By imperative orders from Headquarters, Washington. I am obliged to 
transmit at once, monthly returns of the strength of the Brigade. In view of 
this, you will please have prepared, to-day, if possible, a monthly return for 
the month of May, of the strength of your entire command. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

1 [enry R. Mighels, 

Capt. and A. A. G. 

Headquarters College Villa, 

Tennallytown, D. C, June 6, 1862. 
General Orders Xo. 1. 

1st. The commanding officer of each Regiment, Battery, Battalion or De- 
tachment assigned to the command of Brig. -Gen. S. P. Sturgis will make con- 
solidated morning reports daily to the commanding General, at Headquarters, 
College Villa, Tennallvtown, D. C. 



76 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

2d. The Adjutant of each command assigned as above, shall report in person 
to the Commanding General, every day at eleven o'clock A. m. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

Henry R. Mighels, 
Col. C. T. Robbins, Capt. and A. A. G. 

Comdggth and 10th R. I. Regiments. 



Col. Chas. T. Robbins, 

qih Rhode Island Reg't. 



Headquarters College Villa, 

Tennallytown, D. C, Tune 6, 186; 



Sir: For to-night's picket duty you will please detail ten men of your com- 
mand, said men to be accompanied by a non-commissioned officer. 
This arrangement to be observed until further orders. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Ca/<t. and A. A. G. 



General Orders No. 12. 



Headquarters Sturgis's Brigade, 

Washington, June 8, 1S62 



I. The headquarters of the general commanding Sturgis's Brigade, are now 
and will be until further orders in building northeast corner of Nineteenth and 
I streets, Washington City. 

II. Official communications will be addressed as heretofore, to Henry R 
Mighels, Capt. and A. A. G., College Villa, Tennallytown, D. C. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Capt. and A. A. G. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. JJ 

War Department, 
Washington City. D. C, June 24, 1S62. 

Ordered, That all applications for passes and permits for persons or property 
within the lines of the United States forces shall hereafter be made to Brigadier- 
General Wadsworth, Military Governor of the District of Columbia, and be 
subject to such terms and conditions as he may prescribe. 

Signed, EDWIN M. STANTON. 

Secretary of War. 



(<<>icral Orders No. 



Headquarters <yrn and ioth Regiments, 
R. I. Volunteers, 
Tennallytown, D. C, June 9th, 1862. ) 



1. In compliment to Brig. General Lyman B. Frieze. Quartermaster-Gen. of 
the State of Rhode Island, this camp will hereafter be known as Camp Frieze. 

2. The strictest discipline and good order will be observed, and all derelictions 
from duty, or failure to comply with these orders, will be promptly reported and 
summarily punished. 

3. It is indispensable to health that the strictest neatness and cleanliness 
should prevail : no nuisance therefore of any description in or about the quarters 
will be tolerated, and all slovenly and disorderly habits will be corrected. 

4. The camp grounds and quarters will be thoroughly policed each morning 
immediately after reveille, when in pleasant weather the bed sacks and blankets 
should be aired and exposed for half an hour to the sun. The bed-sacks must 
then be put in order and the blankets neatly folded. Articles of clothing must 
not be left in disorder about the tents, but all furniture, clothing and equipments, 
must be arranged in their proper places ready for inspection. 

5. A daily detail of two men will be made by each mess to serve meals and 
to keep the dishes and table furniture clean and in good order. All mess uten- 
sils, wash-basins, &c, must be neatly and orderly arranged when not in use. A 
barrel in which clean water must be kept, will be furnished to each mess, and 
also a barrel in which all slops or refuse must be thrown. No water or litter of 
any description must be thrown or permitted to remain about the quarters. 



jS THE NINTH REGIMENT 

6. At all meal hours a commissioned officer will superintend the issue of food 
to the detail from the messes of their respective companies. 

7. A daily police guard will be detailed from each regiment for general police 
duties, the officers of which will see that all slop barrels are removed and their 
contents emptied at suitable places to be designated. All company streets and 
grounds will be kept in order by the companies to which they belong. 

S. There will be until further orders the following calls sounded each day: 

1. Reveille at 4^ o'clock a. m. 

2. Police call immediately after first roll call. 

3. Breakfast call at 6$ A. M. 

4. Sick call at 7 a. m., when the sick will report themselves to the 
first sergeants of their respective companies, who will take them to the 
surgeons for examination. 

5. Adjutant's call at SJ a. m., when the guard will assemble on the 
parade. Guard mounting at 9 a. m., after which the officers of the day 
will report to headquarters for orders. 

6. Orderly call at 12 m. when the first sergeants of each company will 
report to the Adjutant for orders, and will receive from him a detail 
for guard, police and picket duty for the following day. 

7. Roast beef 'will be sounded at 1 p. M. 
S. Suffer call at 6$ p. m. 

9. Retreat at sunset when companies will be formed on their com- 
pany parades under arms. 

10. Tattoo at 9 p. m. 

11. Taps at 9^ p. M. when all lights must be extinguished and all 
noise in quarters cease. 

9. There will be each day until further orders the following roll calls : 

The First at Reveille, 
The Second when Roast beef is sounded. 
The Third at Retreat, 
The Fourth at Tattoo. 

10. The Routine for the da}' will be until further orders : 

1. Squad drills from 5A to 6J a. M., under the direction of a sergeant 
and superintended by the company officers. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 79 

2. Peas on a trencher at 6^ A. M. 

3. Company drill from 10 to 1 1 A a. m. 

4. Roast Beef at 1 p. m. 

5. Company drill from 3 to 5 p. m. 

6. Supper at 6£ P. M. 

11. The morning reports of companies signed by the captains and first ser- 
geants must he handed to the Adjutant before s o'clock a. m.. who will consoli- 
date them within the next hour for the information of the General commanding 
the brigade to which these regiments are attached, and make his report at head- 
quarters. 

12. On Sunday squad and company drills only will he omitted. At 9 o'clock 
each company's quarters will he inspected by a field officer attended by the cap- 
tain, and all uncleanliness or want of attention to the requirements in which the 
quarters are to he kept, will be reported to the commanding officer. 

[3. Divine Service will he held every Sunday at 11 A. M. upon grounds to he 
designated, and each officer and soldier not on duty or on the sick report, is ex- 
pected to he present neatly dressed in uniform without arms. 

14. The body-belt will he worn on all occasions when the officers or men are 
out of camp, and no article of dress other than the regular uniform prescribed 
for these regiments will he permitted to be worn at any time. 

15. No salutes will he given between Retreat and Reveille. After Guard 
Mounting, the officer of the guard will see that the muskets of the old guard are 
discharged, and no pieces will be loaded in camp, unless by special order, and any 
soldier disturbing the camp by discharging his musket or pistol without orders, 
will be immediately reported to headquarters for punishment. Muskets when 
loaded will lie carried at the half-cock. 

16. No horses and wagons except the water-carts, and carts for the removal 
of slop barrels, will be allowed to pass through the company streets or between 
the company officers' and Field officers' quarters, and no horses will he permit- 
ted to stand in rear of the line of tents occcupied by the Field and Stall. 

I!v order, 

CHARLLS T. ROBBINS, 

Acting Colonel oth U- wth A'. /. Vols. 



So THE NINTH REGIMENT 

General Orders Number One, just recited, lays out the pro- 
gramme of work for each day : Reveille is sounded at 4.30 a. m., 
when the roll is called and the quarters put in order. One of the 
boys thus described it: "Reveille at 4.30 a. m. is the 'cock- 
crow' of the gallant Ninth. A single bugle call is heard, when 
instantly the proper officer, rouses the drum-corps ; they then 
beat the reveille, the sound rolling in from every direction, far 
and near; the first sergeants are running down the company 
streets, parting the tent-openings, and shouting inside, 'Turn out 
here for roll-call!" The men turn out, in every imaginable state 
of dress and undress, answer to their names in the roll-call, in 
every tone and compass of which the human voice is capable, a 
perfect babel, and are assigned to their duties for the day. The 
whole noisy breeze is past in five minutes, and the day's work 
begins. But let us not overlook the poor little drummer boy in 
this noise of reveille, as he stands at his tent door, half awake, 
half asleep, 'mit nottings on sgarsly,' unkempt, shivering or half 
frozen, peddling around his rattling 'r-r-rap-a-tap-tap.' At half- 
past five we have ' squad drill ' until half-past six, then ' peas on 
a trencher,' which means breakfast. At ten o'clock, company 
drill until half-past eleven. At one o'clock, ' roast beef,' which 
means dinner. At three o'clock, drill, until five o'clock. Supper at 
half-past six, and at sunset, roll-call for retreat. At nine o'clock 
p. m , ' tattoo and roll-call,' and at 9.30, ' taps,' which means all lights 
in camp must be extinguished and all noise must cease. This is 
the regular routine, but we have to take our turn for guard duty 
and for camp police. I was recently one of a detail of thirty men 
for police duty. Our business was not very pleasant, chiefly 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 




Police Duty. 



cleaning up the streets of 
the camp and carting off the 
dirt and waste. As soon 
as breakfast was over the 
orderly directed each man to 
provide himself with a small 
bundle of sticks or brush, 
three or four feet long, which 
w a s bound together, for 
'police duty,' which meant 
cleaning up the camp, not a 
particularly pleasant occu- 
pation on a dry and dusty day, 
1 not much like policemen's 
duty,' one of the boys said. The weather is very hot, the mer- 
cury registering one hundred degrees in the shade. Tell Captain 
Hale that we are practicing 'double quick' every clay so that we 
may not be too far behind when that foot-race comes off. When 
Richmond falls, as fall it must, we hope they will send us home 
to repose upon our laurels. Until then we must be men of war. 
"Last night I was drawn in a crowd of fifty for picket duty 
and it promised to be no very delightful duty either, on a dark, 
rainy night. Soon we were ordered into line, armed and equipped 
with plenty of ball cartridges, and trudged out two or three miles 
into the country. Knowing that shooting pickets was a favorite 
amusement with the prowling secesh in the vicinity, we found the 
employment quite exciting, and as I filled the dignified position of 
corporal of the guard, I managed to keep my eyes open and the 
11 



NINTH RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 83 

Union safe through the night, and at daylight we splashed through 
the mud back to camp again, pretty well drenched, besides being 
tired and sleepy. As soon as dismissed we rolled into the straw 
as we were, and slept until ten this morning. We then turned 
out, and some of us bathed in a mud-puddle. I then breakfasted 
on hard-bread and cheese, and now I am ready for anything. 

"June 1 8th. We have at last got our full equipments and cloth- 
ing, and, among other things, our pantaloons, for, dreadful to re- 
late, we have all had to wear our old ones that we brought from 
home, so that most of us might adopt the language of the military 
tactics, 'to the rear open order.' Some of them are misfits, 
and much too large for the boys. They remind us of the school 
boy's trousers, which didn't signify whether he was going to 
school or coming home. On Sundays we assemble at eleven 
o'clock for church, and again at six o'clock p. m., for dress parade. 

"The men are allowed to go, now and then, to Chain Bridge, on 
the Potomac, for bathing. The other day a party of us went, and 
enjoyed it very much. It is a beautiful region, but completely 
studded with camps and forts. After getting back to camp it oc- 
curred to me as I kicked off my heavy army 'whangs,' as our 
shoes are called, that a nice, easy pair of slippers would be agree- 
able. Another towel, also, would be acceptable when you send 
the box. Even cake would not go amiss, as the boys of the mess 
will gladly share it with me. 

"June 19th. Bread. I have been to Washington to-day with an 
order for to-morrow's bread for the regiment. Brought out 900 
loaves, baked in the basement of the capitol. They bake about 
21,000 loaves per day." 



84 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




Eating Rations. 



The "rations" were rather hard to 
get used to, but the men of the Ninth 
soon learned that a soldier's life is no 
holiday, and his real wants necessarily 
simple and few, so that there was really 
little cause for complaint. It was all 
in getting used to it. 

The regular army "ration," as estab- 
lished by the government, for each sol- 
dier, was composed as follows : Twelve 
ounces of pork and bacon, or twelve 
ounces of salt or fresh beef; twenty-two ounces of soft bread or 
flour, or one pound of hard bread (hard-tack), or twenty ounces 
of corn meal ; and to every one hundred men, fifteen pounds of 
beans or peas, ten pounds of rice, or hominy, eight pounds of 
roasted coffee, or twenty-four ounces of tea, fifteen pounds of 
sugar, four quarts of vinegar, twenty ounces of candles, four 
pounds of soap, four pounds of salt, four ounces of pepper, thirty 
pounds of potatoes and one quart of molasses. This was the 
"ration " the first year of the war. But to meet the wants of 
fellows with big appetites, Congress passed an act, increasing the 
allowance of several of the items, notably ; potatoes, of which each 
man was to have one pound three times a week, " when prac- 
ticable." But as the war wore on, most of the less important 
items disappeared, and during the last year it was mostly hard- 
tack, beans and coffee, with a little sugar and salt. 

"The haversack was an indispensable part of our outfit. It 
consisted of a black canvass bag with a strap attached to the 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. S$ 

opposite side to adjust it to the neck or the shoulder. To use 
the language of an old soldier, "Your haversack's to carry your 
grub in ! Hold on to your haversack through thick and thin ! 
It'll be the best friend you'll find in the army ! " When we left 
Providence our haversacks had neat white cotton linings, but 
after they had been in use a few weeks as receptacles for chunks 
of fat meat, damp sugar tied up in a rag, broken crackers and 
bread, with a lump of cheese or two, they took on the color of a 
printing-office towel. We were told that they were water-proof, but 
practically they were quite the reverse. Very likely you would 
have gone hungry a good while before eating anything out of 
them. Not so with the boys of the Ninth. 

"The 'Camp-Kettle' was a good and useful article of furni- 
ture, made of heavy black sheet-iron, very tall, and of the same 
diameter from top to bottom. All were of the same height, but 
there were three or four sizes of them, so that they could be con- 
veniently 'nested' for transportation. They were chiefly used for 
making coffee and bean soup, and sometimes for laundry purposes. 

" The 'Canteen' was another important feature of our outfit. It 
was a simple article made of tin and covered with cloth, shaped like 
the earth, except that it was a good deal more 'flattened at the 
poles,' and with a cloth strap running around it at the equator, 
by which it was suspended over one shoulder and carried against 
the opposite hip. It would hold about three pints. Its chief 
duty was for the transportation of water, although it was found 
equally adapted to carry some other things. It came handy to the 
forager for milk, cider or molasses. In very rare instances it was 
also used for liquids of a more vigorous and searching character. 



86 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




![,? |j)5iLshri'ou.S Wooi/i'cJC- 



This portrait is many times 

larger than he really was, 

but not half as big as 

he often felt. 



" The greatest, or at least the most trouble- 
some enemies we have to encounter here are 
the wood-ticks. As I never knew until I 
came here what they were, I will take it for 
granted that you don't, and will inform you 
in the words of the poet : 

'De-fire-fly hab de golden wings. 
De lightnin' bug de flame, 
De wood-tick be hab no wing at all, 
But he get dar all de same ! ' 



They infest the trees, bushes, grass, and apparently everything 
else out of doors. We are seldom conscious of their presence, 
but the chief end and object of their existence seems to be to 
make their way by slow degrees under our skin, where, embedded 
in the flesh, they soon become very disagreeable. When they 
make up their mind to have a taste of Yankee blood, they find 
easy access to the body through the openings of the uniform. 
I have found several of them already, but only one that had 
made any progress through the skin, and he was discovered and 
executed before any harm was done. They generally put their 
work in at night, and neither slumber nor sleep. This country 
appears to abound in such creeping things, very much to my 
disgust. I am told the only sure way to exterminate them is to 
boil your clothing." 

The wood-ticks and gray-backs were the great pests of the 
Union army from '61 to '65. One of the great problems of the 
war was how to get rid of them. They attacked all the soldiers, 
from the major-generals clown to the privates. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



87 




In 1 86 1 ev- 
ery consider- 
able eminence in the 
vicinity of the Na- 
tional Capital was 
crowned with a fort or 
redoubt well mount- 
ed. Early in 1862, 

WASHINGTON AND ITS DEFENCES. the seCO nd of the war, 

the number of these works was fifty-two, whose names and loca- 
tions are indicated on the accompanying map. 

This system of works was so complete, that at no time after- 
ward, during the war, did the Confederates ever seriously attempt 
to assail them. 



88 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

The month of June was spent in thorough attention to drill, and 
in the performance of picket duty. The regiment was expected 
to be ready for "inspection" every Sunday morning. 

After getting thus comfortably settled down at Camp Frieze, 
the members of the Ninth were surprised to receive an order from 
Colonel Pitman to be ready to march at short notice. The news 
spread rapidly through the neighborhood, and our friends began 
to compliment us, supposing that we were likely to be sent towards 
" the front," but that seemed hardly probable unless McClellan 
should suffer an overwhelming defeat and the enemy make an ad- 
vance on Washington, in force. June 28th, the regiment was called 
at early dawn, broke up its camp, hurriedly partook of its morning 
meal of salt-junk, hard-tack and coffee, and started at sunrise for 
Washington. It was a beautiful morning, and the men started 
off in fine spirits, with a long train of sixty army wagons, loaded 
with tents and other camp equipage. A march of seven miles 
brought them to Long Bridge, a little before eight o'clock, with 
but two halts of five minutes each, in a tramp of seven miles. The 
contrabands in fantastic dress and head-gear swarmed about the 
men pressing them to buy their pies, gingerbread and hoe-cake. 
Said one of the men: "The sun's rays beat clown fiercely on 
the perspiring volunteers of the Ninth Rhode Island as we went 
marching over Long Bridge and planted our 'whangs' squarely 
upon Virginia sacred soil, which appeared to rise indignant in our 
faces, completely enveloping us in a very fine dust, which stuck 
to us like wax, and entered our eyes, mouths and noses, adding 
greatly to the discomforts of the long march. It was a very hot 
day, if not the hottest we ever experienced, but we keep tramping 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



8 9 




on in the cloud of dust 

with but two halts, the lat- J '. 

ter of about one hour, to J . 

consult about our route of ,. i- ^^Z^^i^i^^ 

march. Then we started 

again, and at length reached 

Alexandria, said to be 

seven miles from Long 

Bridge. \\ T e then made a 

detour of two or three 

miles around the outskirts 

of the city, through marshy 
fields and rough roads un- 
til at length the drum gave A Hot Da * ,or ,he Ninth Rhode lsland - 
the welcome signal for the final halt, and the weary and dusty 
men dropped by the roadside all pretty well used up, — and glad 
enough to 'call it a day's work,' and find needed rest. One of the 
privates of Company K, William Henry Harrison Swan, es- 
caped the long march, as follows : The day before we left 
Camp Frieze found him suffering with a severe and protracted 
attack of side-ache, and on recommendation of the 'orderly ser- 
geant ' he went to the doctor with a request for some mustard, 
for an external application. He was also warned to get a supply 
of the article for seasoning the 'orderly's' salt-horse or beef. He 
succeeded in getting a satisfactory amount of mustard, but igno- 
rantly made a direct application in full strength to his lame side. 
In a short time he was moving around lively in great distress, 
and when we left for Fairfax his side was badly blistered and 
12 



90 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

swollen. He was deposited in one of the wagons, and thus rode 
to Fairfax. He afterwards claimed to be the best ' mustered ' re- 
cruit in the Ninth. After narrating the incident to Sergt. Charles 
P. Gav, of the Tenth, a few days ago, he added, ' singularly 
enough, I have never had the side-ache since, and never was "mus- 
tered out." After the march, hard-tack and coffee were served, 
and I tell you it went good. As the first encampment was named 
'Camp Frieze' the second was appropriately termed 'Camp 
Scorch,' or 'Camp Misery.' Not a tree is in sight, everything has 
been removed to clear the way before the guns of the forts. In 
the vicinity are Forts Ward, Worth, Lyon and Blenker; the camp 
being upon an elevated site, we have a fine view of Washington 
and the Potomac. Fairfax Seminary is near by." 

The regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade, Reserve Army 
Corps, south of the Potomac, commanded by Col. Zenas R. Bliss, 
of the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, Acting Brigadier-General. 
The brigade consisted of Battery L, Second New York; Battery C, 
First New York ; Sixteenth Indiana Battery, Ninth and Tenth 
Rhode Island Volunteers, Thirty-Second Massachusetts Volun- 
teers, Second Excelsior Battery, and the Twelfth Pennsylvania 
Cavalry. The Tenth Rhode Island Battery, Captain Gallup, was 
stationed about a mile from camp, near Cloud's Mills. This for- 
ward movement of the forces around Washington was made to 
support the advance of General McDowell's Corps towards Rich- 
mond, to co-operate with the Army of the Potomac, under General 
McClellan, in the reduction of the confederate capital. But on 
June 26th, after the indecisive battle of Gaines's Mills, McClellan 
commenced his retreat to the James River. The campaign against 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



9 f 



IIP 



Richmond had ended in 
failure, June 30th, and the 
Army of the Potomac had 
retired to a new base of 
operations at Harrison's 
Landing. McDowell's 
army was ordered back to 
Fredericksburg, and the 
Ninth and Tenth Rhode 
Island Volunteers with 
other organizations were 
ordered back to the neigh- 
borhood of the forts sur- 
round i n g Washington. 
The Ninth Regiment re- 
turned by water to Wash- The MarshaU House - 
ington by the way of Alexandria. It was an ancient and dilapi- 
dated looking place, trying to live on its old reputation in slave- 
holding days. "We marched," says a correspondent, "by the 
historic Marshall House where the youthful commander, Colonel 
Ellsworth, had been shot in 1861. Alexandria had been in quiet 
possession of the National troops since May of that year, but there 
were many violent secessionists there who would not submit. 
Among them was a man named Jackson, the proprietor of the 
Marshall House. The Confederate flag had been flying over 
his premises for many days, and had been plainly visible from 
the President's house in Washington. It was still there when 
Colonel Ellsworth went in person, with a few of his men, to 




THE NINTH REGIMENT 




Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth. 



take it down. When descending an 
upper staircase with the flag, which 
he had lowered, he was shot by 
Jackson, who was waiting for him in 
a dark passage with a double-barreled 
gun loaded with buck-shot. Ells- 
worth fell dead, and his murderer 
met the same fate an instant after- 
wards at the hands of Francis E. 
Brownel], who with six others had 
accompanied his commander to the 
roof of the house. He shot Jackson through the heart with a 
bullet, and pierced his body several times with his sabre-bayonet. 
Ellsworth's body was borne in sadness to Washington, where 
funeral services were held in the East Room of the White House, 
with President Lincoln as chief mourner." Ellsworth was a very 
young and attractive officer, and greatly beloved for his bravery 
and patriotism. His death produced great excitement throughout 
the country. It was one of the first that had occurred in conse- 
quence of the National troubles. 

" Leaving Alexandria the Ninth Regiment embarked on board 
'the steamer Hero, for Washington.' After a splendid run of 
about an hour we landed near the Arsenal, and then marched a 
short distance till we came to a fine piece of turfed ground, where 
we rested about two hours, while the colonel departed for orders. 
Resuming our march we passed near the east front of the Capitol, 
by the Navy Yard, across the east branch of the Potomac, 
through a little place called Union Town, up and over some of 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 93 

the longest and steepest hills, until covered with dust, we halted 
at a fork in the roads, where the regiment was divided ; Captain 
McCloy's company, with three others passed on to the right, and 
the remaining ones, moved straight on, and soon reached their 
destination. The regiment is now distributed among ten or a 
dozen forts, extending around Washington, on the east side, and 
relieved the Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers who joined 
the army of General McClellan on the Peninsula. One of the 
forts, Wagner, mounts four thirty-two-pounders, which goes to 
show that our men are to learn to be artillerymen. Fort Wagner 
is finely situated, on an eminence overlooking the city and the 
Potomac, and commands an extensive view. There is an abun- 
dance of water, shade, and pure air. There is also a great supply 
of nothing to eat, as all we have is what was left of the rations we 
brought from Camp Misery, in our haversacks, yesterday morning. 

" The distribution of the companies is as follows : Company A, 
Capt. Robert McCloy, at Fort Greble ; Company F, Capt. John 
M. Taylor, Fort Carroll ; Company D, Capt. John McKinley, 
Fort Snyder ; Company I, Capt. Samuel Pierce, Fort Stanton ; 
Company C, Capt. John A. Bowen, Fort Ricketts ; Company H, 
Capt. Henry F. Jenks, Fort Wagner; Company E, Capt. Isaac 
Place, and Company K, Capt. James R. Holden, Fort Baker 
(regimental headquarters) ; Company G, Capt. Charles L. Watson, 
Fort Dupont ; Company B, Capt. Henry C. Card, Fort Meigs; 
Company L, Capt. Benjamin L. Slocum, Fort Davis. 

" We have neither tents, blankets, overcoats, or clothing, except 
what we marched in yesterday ; all are in the wagons, which have 
not as yet reached camp. But most of us had foraged plenty 



NINTH RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 95 

of cherries and blackberries, and some of the boys had found 
little difficulty in deluding some cows into the belief that they 
were their own calves, so that we became quite reconciled to the 
non-appearance of our baggage wagons. Soon Captain Jenks 
announced that he had made arrangements for hot coffee, and the 
use of the African Methodist Episcopal Church near by, for our 
company to lodge in. So we shouldered our muskets, and 
marched into the church, a small brick edifice, about the form 
and size of a New England country school-house. It was nearly 
new, and quite neat and clean, and we slept none the worse for 
its being a negro church. Some of the men were disappointed 
because they found no cushions on the seats, for myself I gladly 
stretched myself upon one of them near the pulpit, with my 
cartridge-box for a pillow and slept the sleep of the weary, while 
the boys were making the house ring with their vocal music, 
singing army songs mixed with hymns and psalms ; yet I think 
I never slept more soundly. 

"July 4th. To-day, at nine o'clock a. m., I commenced my duties 
as sergeant of the guard. The guard is divided into three 'reliefs,' 
each 'relief being on duty two hours and four hours off duty. 
The officer of the guard, instead of pacing a beat, remains in 
the fort ready to attend to any call. 

" July 9th. Yesterday I proposed to our mess that we have a 
blackberry pudding, they agreed at once, and by request I went 
to the store and bought five pounds of flour, some butter and 
sugar, and while I was gone the boys went out and picked three 
quarts of berries, and we soon had our pudding boiling in three 
bags. It was very fine, some of the boys pronouncing it almost 
as good as 'mother made at home.' 



9 6 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 



" Our washerwoman is a curious, good-na- 
tured old darkey, who is generally found at 
home among her pigs, chickens and "chill- 
uns." She lives in a very modest sort of a 
cabin, keeps her cow, sells some butter, and 
like most of the "cullud folks" around here 
appears to get on very well. The contra- 
bands are friendly, freely lend us any of their 
household utensils, and welcome us to their 
social gatherings. You should hear their 
singing. I can give you no adequate idea of 
their sweet rendering of the old plantation 
melodies and gospel choruses. Some of the 
boys have come to the conclusion that they 
are "the best society of the place." To-day 
is washing day, and "auntie" has come for 
our clothes which she does up brown at the rate of fifty to seventy- 
five cents per dozen. All well — with prospect of a scorching day, 
as usual. Temperature way up among the nineties. 

"Quartermaster George Lewis Cooke (promoted to major, July 
3d), is a busy man. Although surrounded with stores, he can hardly 
find time to eat his own meals, and this morning, I noticed him, 
bright and early, at the commissary store-house in the general 
post-office building at Washington, as busy as a bee in loading up 
his teams. It is said that he can provide everything for our 
comfort, from a tent pin to a twenty-inch collar." 

A correspondent of the Evening Press, wrote July 24th : 
"Judging from the weather tables spread before your readers 




La- 

Our Washerwoman. 



-n 


30 
H 

> 

Q 

Z 
PI 

"l 
CD 




9 8 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




Maj. George Lewis Cooke. 



so regularly in your columns, you have had 
hot days at home, but here, we of the 
Ninth have sweltered through the blazing 
hours of days and weeks together, on the 
bare summit of a shadeless hill, our only 
comfort being to look clown upon smoky 
Washington and say ' Sorry for the Sen- 
ators.' Our post, the regimental head- 
quarters, is named in honor of the brave 
Senator Baker, who made the name heroic 
at Ball's Bluff ; but we get familiar with heroism — we soldiers — 
and have taken the liberty of calling our earth-works ' the Bakery.' 
According to our 'Cooke,' however, we shall all be 'done' in 
about thirty days more. An admirable 'Cooke,' a very 'model 
cook,' have we ; but I cannot speak of his praises without includ- 
ing our other field officers. We pit our colonel against 'any other 
man ' ; and to say of our lieutenant-colonel that he is 'every inch 
a soldier,' is to give him only about seventy-six inches of justice. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Powell is a faithful and accomplished officer 
and has won the respect of all. The three officers are sleeplessly 
vigilant. Many's the night on which they gird on sword and 
pistol, mount their chargers, and spur away through the woods. 
Weary and worn, wet with the night dews, they return 
during the small hours. May the consciousness of having done 
their duty faithfully, at their own risk, without calling upon any- 
one to aid them, be their sufficient reward." 

Another correspondent describes what he saw at Fort Wagner, 
the quarters of Company H. He says: "Col. J. A. Haskin — an 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



99 




Lieut. -Col. John H. Powell. 



officer who left his arm at Chepultepec, but 
who has never left anywhere a certain 
cheerful manliness which secures the admi- 
ration of all who meet him — has charge of 
the defences north of the Potomac. He 
often visits our forts, and the other day, 
just after battalion drill, he asked to see a 
specimen of our proficiency in handling 
the 32-pounders. Either because Fort 
Wagner was close at hand, or because of 
a dim suspicion in the minds of Colonel Pitman and Lieutenant- 
Colonel Powell that Company H would as fairly represent the artil- 
leryism of the regiment as any other men, the little fortress com- 
manded by Capt. Henry F. Jenks was chosen as the scene of opera- 
tions. Two or three hours of field drill, under the sun, hadn't 
quite taken all the starch out of the Pawtucketers, and they were 
ready. 

" I could the better describe artillery practice were I sure 
whether the ' cascable' should first be removed from the muzzle, 
or the ' tompion ' secured to the breech ; but ignorant as I am of 
the nomenclature of big guns and the details of loading and firing 
them, I could appreciate the fact that the 'babes' of Company H 
were lively, rather, and that between 'From Battery' and 'Fire,' 
the intervals were busy and brief. 

"It is a mistake to suppose that '32-pounders' weigh only 
thirty-two pounds ; they are in fact much heavier. Several of 
them will weigh a good deal. On a warm clay the metal becomes 
penetrated with heat, and reflects caloric upon all who approach 



IOO THE NINTH REGIMENT 

A short corporal of Company H has assured me that it is con- 
ducive to perspiration to stand long near these guns. He thinks, 
I suppose, that the shorter you stand by them the better. Speak- 
ing of size, I may remark that very few of the members of Com- 
pany H are eminent for personal altitude ; indeed, on account of 
their juvenility of stature and appearance, they are sometimes 
called 'the babies ' by the bearded men of other companies. It may 
be said, however, by your correspondent, that if infants can handle 
the thirty-two pounders as they do, what a racket, with hand- 
spikes and rammers, there must be, when adults take hold. 

"Out of tender compassion, of course, for these 'babes in 
arms,' the men of the Ninth allowed the boys of Company H to 
take the prize from them all, at our recent ' target-shoot.' General 
orders were, a week before, that each company should keep accu- 
rate account of its target practice for the week, and send the 
record of its five best shots to headquarters for a regimental trial 
of skill. A prize of five dollars was made up by the field-officers, 
to give a little more interest to the trial, but the chief incitement 
was honor rather than gold. Last Saturday morning the squads 
of five came in, each man clasping his polished Enfield, while the 
expectation of V-ictory gleamed upon his sunburnt brow. Target 
at two hundred yards ; three rounds to each man ; result, Com- 
pany H ahead of all others. Then came the trial to decide who 
of the five of H should get the five of dollars. Out of their fifteen 
shots at this last, eleven hit the target, and Sergt. Ambrose P. 
Rice made the closest shooting and won the 'Five.' " Alas ! that 
this gallant soldier, who afterwards re-entered the service, should 
have perished of starvation in the Andersonville prison pen ! 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. IOI 

"It is noticeable that there has been less talk about 'weaning 
the babies' of Company H, since these ' enfants terribles* have 
won at the target match for which, and at which, the whole 
regiment did its best. Captain Jenks takes some pride, also, 
in the general drill and behavior of the little ones committed 
to his charge. He will not admit, and few others will affirm, that 
they can be surpassed in the manual of arms. And it is to the 
credit of any company to stand comparatively well with them in 
the Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers. We shall not be unwilling 
to compare ourselves with our predecessors or our contemporaries, 
on Dexter Training Ground, or anywhere else, when we get back 
to the martial city of Providence. In comparative anatomy, 
philology, entomology and cookery, we may be surpassed by the 
'inimitable' punsters of the 'Tenth Rhode Island,' but in drill, 
dear friends, we venture, humbly, to claim that you can't sustain 
a spermaceti to us." 

"July 30th. General orders were read to-day, to the effect that 
our term of service will expire August 26th, and that permission 
is granted to any member of the Ninth Regiment to re-enlist in 
the new Seventh Rhode Island Regiment, now being organized, 
and who can thereupon be mustered out of the Ninth and into 
the Seventh." 

Another correspondent says : " Yesterday, I paid a visit to a few 
of the forts on the east of the city, garrisoned by our gallant boys 
of the Ninth Rhode Island, and had the pleasure of witnessing a 
battalion drill. Although these drills are in great disrepute with 
the men these hot midsummer days, yet they are undoubtedly 
the basis of their military proficiency. The accuracy of their 



102 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 



drill, and general excellence in battalion movements, call forth 
the warmest commendations of all who are so fortunate as to wit- 
ness them, and should afford ample compensation to the men of 
the Ninth, for the physical hardships they have endured in acquir- 
ing their present military status." 

" The different companies of the regiment are provided with the 
large Sibley tents, and if the number of tents were only increased, 




The Sibley Tent. 



The "A" Tent. 



The Shelter Tent. 



they would be very comfortable ; but to have nineteen or twenty 
men sleeping in one tent in this warm weather seems rather close 
packing." But the Sibley tent soon had to "go." The armies of 
the Union were growing rapidly, and the shrinkage of tents 
began. " In the years 1861 and 1862 most of the troops on taking 
the field were furnished with the Sibley tent. It was quite a 
spacious pavilion, large enough almost for a good size circus side 
show. When pitched it was a perfect cone in shape, the apex 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. IO3 

being fully twelve feet from the ground. The foot of the centre- 
pole was held in position by an iron frame, called a tri-pod, the 
three legs of which straddled out like those of a daddy-long-legs. 
This straddling attachment seems to have been invented expressly 
for the soldiers to stumble over when moving about at night. 
It served its purpose admirably. Five or six and sometimes eight 
Sibley tents were supplied to a company, and the men were 
packed like sardines in a box, from fifteen to twenty in each tent. 
At night they lay with their feet mixed up around the centre-pole, 
their heads fringing the outer line. Each man's knapsack marked 
the particular section of ground that belonged to him. When the 
messes were very full the men slept like a great circular row of 
spoons, and if one wanted to turn over to give the bones on the 
other side a chance, he would yell out the order to ' flop ' and all 
would go over together, thus reversing the spoon along the whole 
line. But the Sibley tents proved to be cumbrous things to 
handle, and enormously bulky. A regiment with sixty of them 
and all other baggage in proportion, required a train of wagons 
sufficient to transport a menagerie. So the Sibley tent had to - go. ' 
New and larger calls for troops were made, and it became a grave 
question whether there were in the country enough mules avail- 
able to haul Sibleys for a million men. The second year of the 
war the skrinkage began. After the Sibley came the A or 
Wedge tent — the shape of which is, perhaps indicated clearly 
enough by its name — and the "Bell" tent, much like it, except 
that it swelled out at each end, increasing its capacity. Five or 
six men could be comfortably domiciled in the A tent, and from 
eight to ten in the Bell. A year or so later the quartermaster 



IOJ. THE NINTH REGIMENT 

gave the thumb-screw another turn and squeezed out the unique 
shelter tent, which was as near the point of none at all as it was 
possible to reach. To each man was given a piece of stout cotton 
cloth, about six feet long and four feet wide; along one edge half 
of them had a row of buttons, and the other half had buttonholes 
to correspond. It took two — one of each kind — to make a shelter 
tent, in which two men were to live and move, and have their 
being. The shelter-tent was three feet high to the ridge, and the 
' spread ' at the bottom was about four feet. It was soon dubbed 
the 'pup' tent, and henceforward to the close of the war, the 
'pup' tent became the only protection of our armies from the 
sun and storm." Lieut. -Col. Hinman's "Corporal Klegg." 

The hot summer of 1862 was passed away in the forts manned 
by the Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers, in regular drills and 
customary fortification duties, preparing those who afterwards 
re-enlisted for greater efficiency. Fort life thus proved an excel- 
lent school for military order and improvement. The separation 
of the companies necessarily prevented much regimental inter- 
course and the monotony of spare hours was broken by such 
sports as were warranted within the limits of a fortification, and 
by frequent correspondence with home. 

Sergt. H. H. Richardson, of Company H, wrote home : 
"Some of us were in Washington yesterday, and I managed to 
dispatch my business quite early, so that I had no need to hurry 
back to camp. I sent the team back and devoted the re- 
mainder of the day to visiting the Smithsonian Institute, and the 
halls of Congress. I have become somewhat familiar with the 
intricate passages about the Capitol so that I can find what I 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



IO : 




want without difficulty. I find it quite in- 
teresting to visit the House and the Senate, 
and listen to the debates, especially in the 
Senate, where Vice-President Hamlin is the 
presiding officer, and where I can hear many 
of our most noted men, whose names have 
long been familiar to us. The House of 
Representatives is the much larger and the 
popular body. The speaker is Mr. Grow, $£?. fyCc 
of Pennsylvania." 

Vice-President Hamlin, statesman and governor of Maine, 
served as United States Senator from that state for several 
terms, until 1861, when he resigned, having been elected vice- 
president on the ticket with Abraham Lincoln. He presided over 
the Senate from March 4, 1S61, till March 3, 1S65. When 
elected vice-president with Mr. Lincoln in 1S61, he accepted an 
invitation to visit the latter at Chicago, and, calling on the Presi- 
dent-elect, found him in a room alone. Mr. Lincoln arose, and 
coming toward his guest, said abruptly: " Have we ever been 
introduced to each other, Mr. Hamlin ?" " No sir, I think not," 
was the reply. "That also is my impression," continued Mr. 
Lincoln, "but I remember distinctly while I was in Congress to 
have heard you make a speech in the Senate. I was very much 
struck with that speech, Senator — particularly struck with it — 
and for the reason that it was filled, chock up, with the very best 
kind of anti-slavery doctrine." "Well now," replied Hamlin, 
laughing, " that is very singular, for my own and first recollec- 
tion of yourself is of having heard you make a speech in the 
u 



io6 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




&rT?-z*f- 



' House,' a speech that was so full of good 
humor and sharp points that I, together 
with others of your auditors were convulsed 
with laughter." The acquaintance thus 
cordially begun, ripened into a close friend- 
ship, and it is affirmed that during all the 
^ "y years of trial, war and bloodshed that fol- 
lowed, Abraham Lincoln continued to re- 
pose the utmost confidence in his friend 
and official associate, Hannibal Hamlin. 
Galusha A. Grow, statesman, was a native of Connecticut, and 
had rendered important service in Congress previous to the war 
for the Union, and helped secure the election of Nathaniel P. 
Banks as speaker of the House, and the election of Abraham 
Lincoln as President of the United States, in i860. At the con- 
vening of the first, or extra session of the Thirty-seventh Con- 
gress, on July 4, 1 86 1, Mr. Grow was elected speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and held the position until March 4, 
1863, when, on retiring, he received a unanimous vote of thanks, 
the first vote of the kind given to any speaker in many years. 

"I don't see anything in the papers about a scarcity of specie 
at the North. It is worth ten per cent, premium in Washington. 
It is now four o'clock, and the order will soon be given for 'Dress 
Parade,' so I must stop and give my ' whangs ' a little polish, and 
equip myself in all the paraphernalia of war." 

"July 23d. An order has just been issued by our general-in- 
ch ief, Pope, forbidding all officers or soldiers leaving their camp 
on any account, without an order from his headquarters. This 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



TO/ 




[A Recent Picture.] 



shuts us up pretty close, and had it been in force when we went 
on our night expeditions to Washington, we should very likely 
have been taken prisoners by the provost guard. 

" If we remain here very long we shall have 
to fall back upon General Pope's late general 
order, July 18, that the troops in the army 
under his command (and we are) shall draw 
their subsistence from the region in which 
they may be quartered. There is no doubt 
but that we might do that to our hearts' con- 
tent without robbing a single Union man. 
Twice since we have been here a body of cav- 
alry have moved past our camp scouting, and 
both times, after being away several clays, have brought in several 
prisoners. Day before yesterday they went by with ten or twelve 
prisoners, among them one wearing a captain's uniform. He was 
taken within five or six miles of here. 

"A court-martial is now in session in the Ninth regiment. 
Lieut. Francello G. Jillson, of Company G, is the judge-advocate. 
The court sits Wednesday and Saturday of each week, provided 
there is any business before it. Several cases have been disposed 
of for fighting, stealing and sleeping on guard, My duties are sim- 
ilar to those of a sheriff in the civil courts, viz. : To bring in the 
prisoners for trial and return them to the guard-house and to see 
that witnesses are in attendance. A few days ago, while the 
court was in session a most terrific whirlwind came up, bringing 
with it such dense clouds of dust as to completely conceal from 
view objects not ten feet distant. 



ioS 



THE NINTH REGIMENT. 




That august body, the court, 
was scattered, and with the 
judge left for parts unknown, 
leaving only your valiant ser- 
geant and six guards, with 
five prisoners in charge. The 
tent itself now violently 
threatened to disperse and 
follow the court, but by the 
united efforts of sergeant, 
guards and prisoners, who all 
lent a hand, one at each 
tent-pin, the court-house was 
saved from demolition. 
coionei Pitman at Battalion Driii. When the lowering elements 

finally subsided and peace was restored, it was no small task to 
remove the dust which had accumulated on the premises. Upon 
the reassembling of the court its members appeared metamor- 
phosed from a group of spruce, blue-uniformed Federal officers 
into a sorry looking set of fellows, wearing a garb of sackcloth 
and ashes. 

" We are now practising daily on our heavy guns. In the 
morning and every afternoon we have battalion drill at head- 
quarters, under the immediate orders of Colonel Pitman. We 
drill in battalion movements three or four hours at a time. The 
more distant companies are conveyed to and from the field in our 
army wagons, but we, being quite near, march. Some of the 
officers appeared at first to be sadly ignorant of military phrases, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. IO9 

and the movements executed were something startling." Said one 
of the boys, "it reminded me of the officer whose last command 
had been a pair of draft horses on his Pennsylvania farm. Coming 
with his company to a pit in the road, he electrified them with 
the order to ' Gee around that hole.' But any little errors of this 
sort were quickly corrected, and by one officer particularly, with 
the order, 'as you were, men, my mistake.' We are now 
making commendable progress in battalion movements, and ex- 
pect to astonish our friends at home when we return." 

A. D. Nickerson, Eleventh Rhode Island Volunteers, says, in 
his " War Experiences : " "It is not within the province of a 
private soldier — more especially a 'raw recruit' — to criticise his 
superiors, and consequently I will not attempt it, notwithstanding 
this is the 'piping time of peace,' and all fear of the guard-house 
has forever vanished. I will say, however, that all of the officers 
named had their peculiarities, but that our lieutenant-colonel was 
peculiarly peculiar ; and yet I believe him to have been every inch a 
soldier — at any rate, there was no such word as fear in his dictionary. 
He was in command when the regiment came the nearest to being 
in an engagement, and I fancy I see him now, mounted on his 
horse and riding at the head of the column, wearing a moth-eaten 
blouse and an exceedingly dilapidated straw hat, with a very 
black ' T. D.' clay pipe stuck in his mouth, the bowl downwards. 
He looked more like the ' cowboy ' of modern times than the pict- 
ures of military heroes which I used to see in my school-books 
when I was a boy. This was our lieutenant-colonel — John Talbot 
Pitman. Pie had good ' staying qualities.' He never threw up 
his commission, nor did he die. He remained with us to the last, 



I IO THE NINTH REGIMENT 

and rose considerably in the estimation of the men after his 
appearance at the head of the regiment at the time I have just 
mentioned. Men everywhere — especially soldiers — admire pluck. 
Our lieutenant-colonel had pluck, even though his heart seemed 
somewhat lacking in tenderness. He never winked at any breach 
of discipline on the part of an officer or a private while he was in 
command of the regiment. If at times he appeared to have too 
little consideration for his men, he never failed to exact the fullest 
measure of consideration for them from all others." 

"July 27th. The routine of camp-life has been interrupted by 
another long march. The forts which the regiment occupy are 
all new, and had never been furnished with flags, until a few 
days ago, when one was sent to each fort. Suitable flag-staffs 
having been erected on Friday last, the staff officers with the 
companies at headquarters started in the morning fully equipped 
with twenty rounds of blank cartridges for the fort at the right of 
the line, receiving as they went along the companies at the 
several forts, similarly armed and equipped. Upon reaching the 
most distant fort (manned by Company A, Captain McCloy). 
Their flag was run up and saluted by the battalion with two 
volleys of musketry and three cheers for the flag. Captain 
McCloy's company then fell into line with us and the march was 
continued to the other extremity of the line, eight or ten miles 
distant, raising and saluting the flag at each fort in passing until 
headquarters, Fort Baker, was reached. Here there were two 
flags, one for the fort, and the other for the colonel's quarters. 
These were saluted with three volleys of musketry and twenty- 
one guns from the fort. A rest was then taken for dinner, after 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I I I 

which the march was resumed towards the forts at the left, the flag 
of each of which was raised and saluted as those on the right had 
been, after which all marched back to their quarters again. The 
whole march probably exceeded sixteen miles, and as the day was 
hot, the men were not sorry to 'call it a day ' and find themselves 
back again, and relieved of their heavy equipments. The view 
from some of the forts was magnificent, that from Fort Greble 
(Captain McCloy), being particularly fine. Fort Greble is located 
upon the heights exactly opposite Alexandria, and commands a fine 
view of the Potomac, both shores, and for many miles each way, 
including camps and forts innumerable, with the cities of Wash- 
ington, Alexandria and Georgetown in full view. On my last 
visit to Washington I found the flags displayed at half mast, and 
the public buildings closed and draped in respect to the memory 
of Ex-President Martin Van Buren." 

"Box from home. One of the best things in the box you so 
kindly sent us was the cake. There is no danger of its being- 
slighted, as the boys always want to enjoy the boxes together. 
The only regret I feel about it is that I cannot eat my cake and 
still have it. When I opened the package, a quarrel immediately 
followed, the 'corporal' disputing the possession of the cake with 
me. I suspect nothing but my superior rank saved it. Finally 
the matter was compromised by my giving him a good piece of it, 
whereupon he left me in peaceable possession of the remainder." 

Foraging. One of the men wrote home to his mother that his 
bright new bayonet had been stained with Southern blood, and 
the old lady shuddered at the awful thought. " But," he added, 
" it wasn't a man I killed, only just a pig." 



I 12 



THE NINTH REGIMENT 




0^| 






" Our team has just 
come in, loaded with 
bed-sacks, so that we 
must buy or steal (or 
else in camp language, 
'forage'), some straw 
to put in them or go 
Fooging- without. Some of the 

bovs have recently managed to 'find' some new potatoes, cab- 
bages, cucumbers and other good things, so that the straw will 
probably soon be found. We are also enjoying some ripe pears 
which were raised out of our garden. 

"We are nearing the end of our three months' service in the 
Ninth regiment. In that period we have seen quite a variety of 
soldier life, although we have made but few movements. We 
have held an exposed position in a chain of forts of the eastern 
defences of Washington, but have encountered no raiding Early 
or Jackson, so "that the results achieved are not conspicuous, 
but we have stood at the post of duty assigned us, thus relieving 
older troops for more active service, and we feel that without our 
history the record of the war for the Union would be incomplete. 
" I notice that the Tenth regiment has written more letters to 
the papers than our regiment. As the two organizations have 
not met since we parted at Cloud's Mills, Va., we can have no 
idea what progress they may have made in the art of war, and 
doubtless each regiment will be prepared to criticize the other 
pretty sharply when we meet at home. As they are composed 
of city companies, and rather 'aristocratic ' withal, it will per- 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



I I 




Chaplain N. W. T. Root. 



haps be becoming to us while the crowd 
is admiring tliem." 

The duties of chaplain were satisfactorily 
performed by Rev. Mr. Root, of Lonsdale, 
R. I. As postmaster of the regiment, also, 
and in various other ways, he found daily 
opportunity to render acceptable and ap- 
preciated services to the men. 

Religious services were maintained 
through the summer, which were well attended by officers and 
men. 

The bugle sounded the call for public worship, and the men 
seated themselves upon the ground or stood in groups to hear 
the preaching of the Gospel, and sing the old, familiar hymns. 
The chaplain, in his best uniform, stood and prayed fervently for 
the Divine guidance and protection, while the men listened with 
heads reverently bowed. After the sermon the chaplain would 
give out some familiar hymn in our red-covered hymn books. 

One of the regiment wrote home, " Last Sabbath Chaplain Root 
preached a very practical sermon on ' profanity.' After the sermon, 
the Warren boys agreed among their several messes, that when- 
ever one of them uttered a profane word he should be immediately 
compelled to go and fetch a pail of water for the cook's galley. 
As the distance to the camp is about half a mile, it will be readily 
seen that this was no light task thus voluntarily imposed upon 
themselves. To their honor, be it said, that they fully kept their 
agreement (so far as heard from), and I commend their example 
as worthy of imitation." 

15 



114 THE NINTH REGIMENT 

"August 3d. We have lost one of our comrades by death. He 
was a young man belonging in the south part of the State, a mem- 
ber of Company K. His death is supposed to be the result of 
injuries received from a fall while wrestling at Tennallytown. His 
remains have been sent home in a metallic burial case, at the 
expense of the general government. I was frequently at the hos- 
pital during his sickness, and should say that he received every 
care and attention possible. Both our doctors, Morton and King, 
spared no time or pains to relieve him. 

" During the three months' campaign of the Ninth, the health of 
the regiment was generally good, and but three deaths occurred 
during its term of service : Hollis Taber, Jr., Company C, died 
Aug. 13, 1862, in hospital; Sylvester B. Arnold, Company K, 
died Aug. 2. 1862, in hospital ; Joseph H. Simonds, Company I, 
died September, 1862, in Warren, R. I." 

August 24th. The following order was received by the regi- 
ment : 

Headquarters Defences of Washington, 
General Orders No. 2. Washington, August 23, 1S62. 

[Extract I.] 

In pursuance of orders from the War Department: 

1st. All regiments of three months volunteers within this command, will he 
mustered out of service at the points where they organized respectively. They 
will he placed en route for the rendezvous so as to arrive there one or two days 
hefore the expiration of their time. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General BARNARD, 

(Signed) J. B. Smith, 
A. A. G. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I I 5 

The regiment in accordance with the above order broke up its 
camps at the forts, Monday morning, August 25th, and took up its 
line of march for Washington. It left for home in the afternoon 
and proceeded by rail to New York, with the customary delays at 
Baltimore and Philadelphia. . At New York the regiment was de- 
layed a day and a half for transportation. It was finally conveyed 
to Fall River by steamer Metropolis, and from there was trans- 
ferred to steamer Bay State, and arrived at Providence on 
the morning of the 29th. Company L, Captain Slocum, was left 
at Newport. After disembarking the "Ninth" was received by 
the "Tenth Regiment," and escorted to Exchange place, and 
dismissed. With one exception the companies belonged to 
other towns, and left the city in the earliest trains for their re- 
spective homes. Companies A and H, of Pawtucket, were hand- 
somely received there, and a bountiful collation provided. A similar 
reception was given to Company I, in Warren, and a speech of 
welcome made by Asa M. Gammell, Esq. A few days after, the 
regiment assembled in Providence, was paid off, and mustered out. 

The history of the Ninth Regiment is necessarily brief and 
uneventful. It is not identified with brilliant deeds, such as 
attract the gaze and call forth expressions of wonder or admira- 
tion. It cannot point to hard fought battles, and exhibit a long 
list of casualties as evidence of its prowess. But if destitute 
of these features, impartial history will nevertheless give it a 
deserved recognition as a reserved power. Important but not 
dazzling duties were assigned it, and these duties were quietly 
and faithfully performed. In every respect it was a credit to the 
State, and worthy of being held in honorable remembrance. 



Il6 THE NINTH REGIMENT 



THE SOLDIER'S RETURN. 



Tune — Marching A long. 



F 



BY CAPT. JOHN MCKINLEY, CO. D, 9TII R. I. VOLS. 

ROM far distant fort and from white tented plain, 
I low gladly we come to our old homes again : 
Though stained not as heroes in battle's red gore, 
We've all done our duty, and none can do more. 

To father and mother what joy it imparts 
To meet the loved son they have mourned in their hearts: 
"Where sad looks have lingered, a smile seems to reign, 
And friends, weary sighing, are cheerful again. 

The lone-hearted maiden and fond loving wife, 

That longed for their loved one's return from the strife, 

With sister and brother have happy become, 

To see the brave soldier return to his home. 

Though weary with wandering, 'tis pleasure sincere, 
Dear friends, kind neighbors, and kindred, to hear, 
In sweet tones of welcome, your voices arise, 
A- \<>u meet us and greet us with love's beaming eves. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 

Farewell for a while, now, the fort and the field, 
We return to the comforts our firesides can yield, 
And gladly forget our brief, weary sojourn 
Where friends meet to welcome the soldier's return. 

May God speed the time when the battle's loud roar 
Shall no longer be heard on Columbia's shore: 
When ■■ peace and good will " all our people shall learn. 
And no longer prevent the soldier's return. 

Chorus : 

Homeward we come, proudly homeward we come, 
And sweet is the welcome of kind friends at home. 
How warmly love's feeling in each heart will burn 
When friends fondlv welcome the soldier's return. 



II 7 




NINTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS 



FIELD AND STAFF. 



Colonel — John T. Pitman. 

Lieutenant-Colonels — John T. Pitman, John Hare Povvel. 

Majors — John T. Pitman, John Hare Powel, George Lewis Cooke. 

Surgeon — Lloyd Morton. 

Assistant-Surgeon — Henry King. 

Chaplain — N. W. Taylor Root. 

Adjutant — Henry C. Brown. 

Quartermasters — George Lewis Cooke, William McCready, Jr. 

Sergeant-Major — Robert Fessenden. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant — Alfred O. Tilden. 

Hospital Steward — Henry E. Tyler. 

Commissary-Sergeant — Horace G. Miller. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 



COMPANY A. 

Capt. Robert McCloy, ist Lt. Albert W. Tompkins, 

2d Lt. Henry C. Brown. 

COMPANY B. 

Capt. Henry C. Card, ist Lt. J. Clarke Barber, 

2d Lt. James McDonald. 



NINTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS. IIQ 

COMPANY C. 
Capt. John A. Bowen, 1st Lt. George A. Spink, 

2d Lt. William H. Potter. 

COMPANY D. 
Capt. John McKinley, 1st Lt. John Pollard, 

2d Lt. William McCready, Jr. 

COMPANY E. 
Capt. Isaac Place, 1st Lt. Philip D. Hail. 

2d Lt. Nathan Benton. 

COMPANY F. 

Capt. John M. Taylor, 1st Lt. Randall Holden, 

2d Lt. Richard W. Howard. 

COMPANY G. 

Capt. Charles S. Watson, 1st Lt. Francello G. Jillson, 

2d Lt. Henry J. Whitaker. 

COMPANY H. 
Capt. Henry F. Jenks, 1st Lt. Frank Allen, 

2d Lt. Georde A. Bucklin. 

COMPANY I. 

Capt. Samuel Pearce, 

1 st Lt. George Lewis Cooke, 2d Lt. William H. Surgens, 

1 st Lt. William H. Surgens, 2d Lt. Horace G. Karrus. 

COMPANY K. 

Capt. James R. Holden, 1st Lt. William H. Gardner, 

2d Lt. George H. Burnham. 

COMPANY L. 
Capt. John Hare Powel, 1st Lt. William R. Landers, 

Capt. Benjamin L. Slocum, 2d Lt. William H. King. 



(^^S^U^ 





lrvin McDowell. 



George B. McClellan, 

and other 

Union Generals 

in Virginia, 

1862. 



The Tenth Regiment 

R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 




T 



The White House. 



HE Tenth Regiment 
Rhode Island Vol- 
unteers was princi- 
pally recruited from an 
organization of the citizens 
of Providence, banded to- 
gether for State defence, 
and known as the First 
Regiment Rhode Island 
National Guards. On the 23d of May, 1 862, -the following spe- 
cial order was issued from the Adjutant General's office of the 
State, viz. : 

Commandants of the several military companies of the State, will imme- 
diately assemble their respective commands, at their usual place of rendezvous, 
and report one company, minimum standard from each organization, to the 
office of the Adjutant-General, for three months' service in Washington. 

Signed, E. C. MAURAN, 

Adjutant-General. 

A meeting of the officers of the several companies comprising 
the " First Regiment Rhode Island National Guards," was imme- 
diately held, and the following resolution was unanimously passed : 

1G 



122 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Resolved, That Col. James Shaw, Jr., is hereby requested to offer to His 
Excellency the Governor, the services of the organization known as the ' First 
Regiment Rhode Island National Guards,' as now officered and organized, in 
response to the call for service made by him as above. 

Signed, ELISHA DYER, 

Commanding Co. B, being Fourth Ward Drill Corps, 

Chairman. 

A reply was promptly received from the Governor, accepting 
the services of the regiment according to the terms of the reso- 
lution. 

" On the night of the 25th," says Colonel Shaw (in his official 
report to Governor Sprague the following October), "the despatch 
announcing the defeat of General Banks was received, and at one 
o'clock on the 26th, I received from you an order to immediately 
organize the National Guards. I at once ordered the several 
companies to meet at their respective armories at 9 o'clock, a. m., 
and at seven p. m., of the same day, had the honor to report to 
you six hundred and thirteen men ready for duty. As I had seen 
no service in the field, and there was a prospect of immediate 
active service, I preferred to waive the right to command the regi- 
ment, according to the terms on which you had accepted it, and 
requested your Excellency to appoint some one who had received 
a military education as its commander. I was further directed by 
you to send in a list of company officers, and was informed that 
the quartermaster would be at my service at daylight the fol- 
lowing morning. 

"At 2.15 p. m., the next day, by my order, the regiment was 
paraded on Exchange place, armed, clothed and equipped, — in less 
than thirty hours from the time it was first ordered to meet." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



123 



General Orders No. 29, Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Office, Providence, May 26, 1862, 
announced that the National Guards of 
Providence will be organized as the Tenth 
Rhode Island Volunteers : Capt. Zenas 
R. Bliss, United States Army, Colonel ; 
James Shaw, Jr., Lieutenant-Colonel. 

Colonel Bliss being obliged to remain 
at home for a day or two, on account of 
his father's death, the following order was issued, viz. 




Special Orders, 
No. 2g. 



Statk of Rhode Island, Etc., 

Adjutant-General's Office, 

Providence, May 26. 1S62. 



Lieutenant- Colonel Shaw is hereby ordered to have the baggage belonging to 
his regiment at the Stonington Railroad Freight Depot, at 11 a. m., on Tues- 
day, the 27th instant. 

You will also order your companies to report punctually at the Stonington 
Depot, at 3 o'clock, p. m., same date. 

By order of the Commander-in-Chief, 

AUG. IIOPPIN, 
A ss/s/a h t A dju ta >it- Gen oral. 

" We left Providence," wrote a member of the regiment, 
" Tuesday afternoon, and were received everywhere on the route 
with great enthusiasm." The impression seemed to prevail that 
Washington was safe now that the "Tenth " was on its way. Cer- 
tainly no regiment ever left the State more promptly in response 
to the Governor's call, and no regiment hastened to the rescue 
of the capital under a more solemn sense of duty. 



124 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



x 




Some of the best citizens of Providence 
were members of this regiment from al- 
most every rank and profession. There 
was the merchant, the lawyer and the 
banker ; the mechanic and tradesman, 
with the clerk from behind his counter. 
There were the students, from the college 
and high school, led by that grand man, 
Lieut.-coi. James Shaw, jr. Capt. Elisha Dyer, formerly governor of 
the State, whose former position gave increased value to the ser- 
vice now rendered. It was the general desire and expectation 
that Col. James Shaw, Jr., should be the colonel of the regiment, 
but he chose to be content with deserving the position, and de- 
clining the honor in favor of a worthy officer who had seen service. 
"The regiment assembled on Exchange place," wrote Lieut. 
Charles F. Phillips, of Company B, "on Tuesday afternoon, May 
27th, at three o'clock, and about five o'clock it filed into the cars. 
During the interim, while standing in line, we were all pretty 
well drenched by a heavy shower of rain, besides being bent well 
nigh double by the unaccustomed weight of our equipments. 
Some one pointed out a stranger, of fine soldierly physique, and 
face well bronzed by service with the regulars in Texas, as our 
future colonel, and an efficient commander he afterwards proved, 
but as we were then in blissful ignorance of his merits, we were 
hardly disposed to look upon him with favor at first." Colonel 
Bliss was detained at home on account of his father's death, and 
Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw assumed command of the regiment, and 
directed its movement to Washington. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



125 




Capt. Elisha Dyer. 



The commander of Company A, was 
Capt. William E. Taber, a young and 
efficient officer, who had seen service with 
the First Rhode Island Regiment. At the 
head of Company B, marched Capt. Elisha 
Dyer, one of the war governors of Rhode 
Island. The men are few who at his age 
and with his responsibilities, would have 
surrendered the comforts of home for the 
arduous duties of the camp. Within eight hours time from the 
opening of the armory, he paraded his company of a hundred and 
twenty-five men up Broadway and down Westminster street. The 
other captains were : Jeremiah Yose, Company C ; William S. 
Smith, Company D ; Hopkins B. Cady, Company E ; Benjamin 
W. Harris, Company F ; A. Crawford Greene, Company G ; 
Christopher Duckworth, Company H ; William M. Hale, Company 
I ; G. Frank Low, Company K (Second Lieutenant First Regiment). 
Most of the officers of the "Tenth" were citizens of Providence, 
well known to the men, and good order and discipline prevailed. 

Resuming, Lieutenant Phillips wrote : "As soon as the regi- 
ment had passed into the cars, guards were stationed with 
strict orders to allow no one to enter or leave the train. Soon a 
stout, well built man, with eyes and hair as black as the raven, 
and a countenance indicating a generous disposition, attempted 
to enter one of the cars. The guard disputed his entrance at the 
point of the bayonet. 'I am the Governor's aide,' he said with 
considerable vigor. 'And my orders are imperative,' as firmly 
insisted the guard. Here was a quandary, Captain Dyer's sergeant 



126 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

was attending to business closely, but after further parleying, 
the necessary order came, and Col. Byron Sprague of his excel- 
lency's staff was allowed to pass in. A few moments later the 
final commands were given, the conductor gave the signal for de- 
parture, and the long train moved out of the depot amid loud 
cheering by the assembled crowd and a general waving of hats 
and handkerchiefs." 

To such a regiment might be fitly applied the words of Abra- 
ham Lincoln when, in a message to Congress, he said : "There 
are regiments in the national service which could fill with dignity 
and honor, every important place in the central administration of 
the national government." 

Lieut. Winthrop DeWolf, of Company D, wrote: "The first 
realizing sense of the rough work we had undertaken, I think, 
came over us at Groton, when for the first time we underwent 
'rations.' At the gangway leading to the boat stood the com- 
missary and his assistants with a barrel before them. Our unsus- 
pecting recruits marched up in single file with open haversacks, 
when instead of the neat package of sandwiches and sponge cake 
which most of them expected to be deposited therein, the afore- 
said assistant disappeared for an instant, head and shoulders into 
the barrel, then rising suddenly crammed into the opening a 
greasy mass, which might be meat or bone, as it happened. The 
old soldiers (First Regiment men are old soldiers now), looked 
doubtfully at it from the corners of their eyes, the younger mem- 
bers received it with enthusiasm, as the first trial of patriotism, 
and retained it till far out in the Sound, when a certain unsteady 
motion taking possession of the steamer, they might be observed 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



127 



stealing to the guards and quietly dropping it overboard. The 
floor of the saloon was now assigned the men for sleeping quarters. 
From New York we took the Amboy boat, and arrived at Phila- 
delphia about five p. M., of Wednesday. A capital supper was 
awaiting us at the rooms of the Cooper Volunteer Relief Asso- 




Cooper Volunteer Refreshment Building. 

cjation, and, not to be forgotten, plenty of water and towels. 
This association has fed since the war commenced more than 
200,000 hungry, way-worn men. Overhead are the hospital rooms. 
Two of our men being sick were taken thither, and treated with 
every possible attention. If blessings were shingles, these asso- 
ciation rooms would be new roofed every week ; yet I am told its 
charities are supported by the poor, and not the rich of that great 



128 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

city ; that the subscriptions to it are mostly of one and two dol- 
lars ; that market-women and small store-keepers and country- 
men strain to the utmost their scant resources to spread that 
hospitable table." 

The city of Philadelphia lay in the channel of the great stream 
of Union volunteers from New England, New York and New 
Jersey, that commenced flowing abundantly early in May, 1861. 
These soldiers crossing New Jersey and the Delaware river at 
Camden, were landed at the foot of Washington avenue, where 
wearied and hungry, they often vainly sought for sufficient refresh- 
ments in the bakeries and groceries in the neighborhood before 
entering the cars for Baltimore. One morning the wife of a 
mechanic living near, commiserating the situation of some sol- 
diers who had just arrived, went out with her coffee pot and a 
cup, and distributed its contents among them. That generous 
hint was the germ of a wonderful system of relief for the passing 
soldiers which was immediately developed in that city. Some 
benevolent women of the vicinity, imitating their patriotic sister, 
formed themselves into a committee for the regular distribution of 
coffee to the soldiers on their arrival. Gentlemen of the neigh- 
borhood also interested themselves in procuring other supplies, 
and, for a few days, they were dispensed under the shade of trees, 
in front of the cooper shop of William M. Cooper, on Otsego street 
near Washington avenue. Then the shop itself, generously offered 
for the purpose by Mr. Cooper, was used for the refreshment of 
the soldiers, and very soon whole regiments were fed there, at 
tables supplied by the contributions of the citizens of Philadel- 
phia, and were waited on by their wives and daughters. The first 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 20, 

regiment supplied was Colonel Blenker's (German) Rifles, more 
than a thousand strong, who breakfasted there on the 27th of 
May, 1861. A hospital was also established for sick and wounded 
soldiers. The " Cooper Shop" not proving spacious enough, other 
places of refreshment were afterwards opened. This benevolent 
work was continued all through the period of the War of the 
Rebellion ; and to the immortal honor of Mr. Cooper and the citi- 
zens of Philadelphia, it must be recorded that they liberally sup- 
plied these saloons with ample materials to give a bountiful meal 
during the four years of war to almost 1,200,000 Union soldiers. 
Over 600,000 were fed at the " Cooper Shop " at an expense of ten 
to fifteen cents per meal. It caused the loss of Mr. Cooper's busi- 
ness, and reduced the family to severe straits. To the women 
especially, who devoted themselves to the service of preparing the 
meals, and waiting upon this vast host of the defenders of the 
Union, belong the choicest blessings of their country. At all 
hours of the day and night, these self-sacrificing heroines — to 
whom a little signal gun, employed for the purpose, announced the 
approach of a regiment or a company of troops, — would repair to 
the saloon, and with the greatest cheerfulness dispense the gene- 
rous bounty of the citizens of Philadelphia. This noble work 
continued till August, 1865, when peace had been restored, and 
the flag of the republic was waving unmolested over every acre 
of its domain. Without disparagement to other cities (for all did 
noble work), it may with propriety be said, that in labors of 
genuine benevolence and generous giving for the comfort of the 
soldiers of the great Union army, the citizens of Philadelphia 
stand peerless. 
17 



I30 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Resuming, Lieutenant DeWolf wrote : " The night's ride to 
Baltimore was ludicrously uncomfortable, but with the sunrise we 
left the cars and marched through the debatable land unmolested. 
Cartridges had been previously served to one or two companies, 
but no disloyal word or act gave excuse for their employment. 
The southern sympathizers had disappeared from the streets and 
the 'stars and stripes' were flying from the public buildings. All 
the forenoon we lazed about the railroad station, while some 
officers were dispatched to Washington to report our arrival. 

"They received at first the startling order to join the advance 
near Richmond at once, but when the locating officer came to 
understand that we were 'emergency' men, ordered to the de- 
fence of Washington, we were permitted to pursue our journey to 
the capital. To this end we were furnished with a few passenger 
cars and fourteen or fifteen freight and cattle cars, into which we 
tumbled after the manner of our cloven footed predecessors, 
whose aroma, bovine, porcine and equine, yet lingered lovingly 
about the spot. The sun was intensely hot, with no wind. In 
our car some air was obtained by bringing a pair- of ' whangs ' 
(army shoes, a trifle broader than they are long), to bear upon the 
boards at either ends, but the next car to us being completely 
iron-clad, roof and sides, reduced its inmates to a semi-fluid state. 
One man declared that the water 'sizzled' in his canteen, while 
the eggs bought in Baltimore were found to be handsomely baked 
upon his arrival at Washington. 

" But at length we did arrive. Before us stood invitingly a 
row of wooden barracks, seemingly filled already to their utmost 
capacity with soldiers. Into these we filed and deposited our ac- 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I3I 

coutrements. The floor that night presented a curious appear- 
ance. A conglomerate pavement of sleeping men, reclining 
every way, dovetailed, criss-crossed, head and heels, pillowed on 
knapsacks and cartridge boxes, heaving with the restless tides of 
slumber, from which arose the gleaming stacks of muskets, 
festooned with haversacks and canteens. So completely was the 
floor covered that the unfortunate guard, quorum parva pars fori, 
coming heavy-eyed from their posts, sought in vain for a vacant 
spot, and were finally compelled to spread their blankets upon 
the ground outside. A little after midnight, a man sprang to his 
feet in a distant corner of the room shouting, ' The enemy are 
upon us ! Seize your arms, boys ! ' 

" Instantly five hundred men awoke and commenced scrambling 
for their arms and equipments. A scene of more perfect confu- 
sion can hardly be imagined. 

"One dim lantern shed an uncertain light over the room. 
Xow and then a stack of muskets came down with a crash to 
help matters. Few were wide awake enough to reason about the 
grounds of the alarm, and the officers' shouts went for nothing in 
the hurley-burley. When quiet had been a little restored, it was 
discovered that the man who started the alarm had been suffering 
from nightmare. He could not be persuaded in the morning of 
the excitement he had created." 

A few years later the author found himself uncomfortably locked 
up in a stateroom with a Baltimore man who had a similar attack 
on board a steamer on Lake Champlain : " I was on my way home 
from Montreal and arrived late one evening at Burlington, Vt., 
where I took the night boat for Whitehall. It was crowded with 



12,2 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

passengers, and every stateroom was engaged. As I sat watch- 
ing the crowd and looking about for a convenient camping spot on 
the floor, I recalled the night in 1862 when the 'Tenth Rhode 
Island boys ' crowded the decks of the steamer Plymouth Rock, 
on the way to the capital. Then, as now, the staterooms were all 
taken, but we cheerfully camped down 'on deck' with our knap- 
sacks for pillows, and after receiving our first rations, we dropped 
off to sleep, dreaming of the comforts of home and of the thin as- 
surances made us, when we put our names clown, that nothing but 
the best was good enough for us, and that the best government 
upon the face of the earth would take care that we were supplied 
with every good thing. 

" While musing thus, a mild-appearing individual approached 
me and said, ' I'm sorry that you are unable to obtain a state- 
room. I am traveling alone to my home in Baltimore, and you 
are welcome to the upper berth of my room if you'll accept it.' 

" If I had been on my way home with the boys of the 'Tenth ' 
at the end of our campaign, I might have replied, thank you, my 
friend, but we've got used to it, and prefer to sleep on the floor, 
but reflecting that I was several years older than I was then, and 
much heavier than when I was much lighter, I gladly accepted 
the kind offer of a soft bed from the Baltimore gentleman, and 
retired early, the suggestion occurring to me, at the last moment, 
as I was composing myself to rest, that perhaps it was a trifle 
risky being locked up for the night in a small stateroom with an 
entire stranger. 

" Soon all was quiet on the steamer. The lights burned low in 
the saloon, and all were apparently asleep, when suddenly, about 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 33 

the hour of midnight, I was aroused from my slumbers by a 
terrific yell from the Baltimore gentleman in the lower berth. 
A moment later he was on his feet, shouting 'Murder! thieves! 
robbers ! ' and tearing about like a madman." Mrs. Partington 
said: "Some people are more courageous than others, and some 
ain't ! But for my part," she added, " I think it requires a good 
deal of courage to wake up in the middle of the night and find a 
strange man standing horizontally by your bedside ! " "As soon as 
I could speak I called out, what's the matter with you ? but received 
no soothing reply, and the startling conviction forced itself upon 
me that I was locked up with a lunatic. Suddenly, in his frenzy, 
the Baltimore man turned and started for the stateroom window. 
Here was my opportunity. With a bound I leaped from the 
upper berth to the floor, unlocked the door and rushed out into 
the saloon with the Baltimore man in hot pursuit. A crowd had 
already gathered, and he was quickly secured. Anxious faces, 
some in night-caps, might be seen peering out of their stateroom 
doors. Meanwhile the cause of the alarm attempted to explain 
that it was only one of his periodical spells of nightmare, although 
he guessed it must have been an unusually bad spell ; no one 
need be alarmed on his account, as he was entirely harmless at 
such times. With this assurance quiet was at length restored." 
Thursday night, May 29th, the Tenth Regiment slept in 
the barracks in Washington. "Early the next morning," 
wrote James F. Field, of Company B, "we packed our knap- 
sacks, and at eleven o'clock started on the march, halting for 
some time at the Capitol for orders. The day was excessively 
warm, and as we moved on, the dust was so thick that we could 



134 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

scarcely see the left of the line from our position on the right. 
I was much disappointed in the general appearance of the city, 
as we saw it from Pennsylvania avenue, the main thoroughfare. 
The public buildings were all on a grand scale, such as the 
Capitol, White House, Patent Office (where the First Rhode 
Island Regiment was stationed a year ago), the Post-Office Build- 
ing, and the Postmaster-General's residence, but the private resi- 
dences were not so attractive. When we reached the White 
House, we loaded our knapsacks, at the suggestion of Governor 
Sprague, into the baggage wagons of the Sixty-third Indiana 
Regiment, which were following us, which proved a great relief. 
We were further allowed to carry 'arms at will' and take our 
own 'step.' Thus we marched on, through Georgetown and 
beyond, six miles or more, till we came to the village of Tennally- 
town near our present camp." 

"After the hot, two hours' march," resumed Lieutenant Phillips, 
" the regiment halted, the right resting near the village hotel. 
Suddenly the black clouds which had been gathering, were rent 
with vivid flashes of lightning, and poured down their fierce vials 
of wrath upon us, the invaders of 'Maryland, my Maryland,' till 
we were soaked through and through. The officers had gone 
into the hotel to pay their respects to Gen. Samuel P. Sturgis, 
to whose brigade we had been assigned. 

"The rain poured; some of the men broke ranks, and tried 
shelter under the veranda. General Robbins stalked across 
the street with measured dignity, and, whilst the rain formed 
rivulets down his back exclaimed : ' For God's sake, sergeant, 
keep the men in line, this is General Sturgis's headquarters ! ' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



135 



The men had great respect 
for General Sturgis, know- 
ing that he was a regular, 
the second in command to 
General Lyon, at Wilson's 
Creek, and with his raw 
troops from Kansas had 
fought with great valor. 
Not a man was hazardous 
enough to leave the line 
after this. Corbin, on the 
extreme right, one of the 
tall men, slim and straight, 
and too thin it was de- 
clared for even a shadow, 
as well as others of ' old 
Brown, 'amused themselves A Wet Da y in Cam P- 

by emptying the water out of their shoes. In the meantime 
Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw had seized a building at the junction 
of the roads, in spite of protests and threats, and prepared a 
hasty cup of coffee for the command. Upon the orders of Gen- 
eral Robbins, Company B was ordered to pass in single file by 
the open windows, receive a cup of coffee, and go into the woods 
upon the left and unload the wagons. It was a heavy task, but 
soon accomplished. The camp fixings, including the knapsacks, 
were sorted and distributed to company quarters. As there was 
neither saw, hammer, or chisel, we had to break open the cases 
with uplifted boulders, and with jackknives only we whittled, 




136 THE TENTH REGIMENT. 

fitted and wedged the handles of the picks in their places. As 
the darkness settled down, the conical peaks of the Sibley tents 
popped up like mushrooms, and considering that very few of the 
men had ever helped pitch a tent or ever stood under one, the 
work was marvellous. A member of Company B was commanded 
to take a detail and pitch the general's headquarters near the 
burying ground fence. This was a wall tent, soaked with water, 
and nearly as large as the meeting-house near by. The soil com- 
posed of gravel and boulders, was almost impenetrable to the pick, 
but the work was accomplished, dark as it was, to the satisfaction 
of all concerned. Upon returning to quarters, we were unable to 
find knapsack, blanket or haversack. Every inch of the tent 
was occupied by men drenched to the skin ; some were counting 
the blisters upon their hands, and others trying to improvise a 
cup of coffee. Poor McGlaulin was doing his best to build a fire 
from the green wood chopped after we came into camp. The 
sergeant sought refuge in the windowless church, and slept upon 
the wet floor without pillow or blanket. At length, the morning 
dawned, and the sun, as if to welcome us, touched up the walls of 
our canvas city with golden hues, while the birds, never happier, 
warbled their morning songs from the tree-tops abotfe us. Some 
of the first orders were to open the quartermaster's stores and 
mount guard. The camp was further laid out by measure, and 
rightly named Camp Frieze, in honor of the Quartermaster-Gen- 
eral of Rhode Island. It occupies the northwesterly slope of the 
hill, on which the village of Tennallytown clings with feeble 
grasp. The regular routine of military drill now began, and was 
strictly enforced from that day." 









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1 38 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Headquarters, College Villa. 
General Orders. No. /. Texxallytowx, D. C, May 31, 1862. 

1st. The commanding officers of each regiment, battery, battalion or detach- 
ment assigned to the command of Brigadier-General Sturgis, will make consoli- 
dated morning reports daily to the commanding general at headquarters, Col- 
lege Villa, Tennallytown, D. C. 

2d. The adjutant of each command, assigned as above, will report in person 
to the commanding general, every day at 11 o'clock a. m. 

By order of Brigadier-General STURGIS. 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Captain and A. A. G. 

Headquarters, Tenth R. I. Volunteers. 
Circular: June 3, 1S62. 

For the present water will be obtained from the spring for the use of the 
camp. It has been freely tested by companies encamped here previously, and 
is reported perfectly good. 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Colonel Commanding. 



Headquarters, Tenth R. I. Volunteers, 
Circular: June 3, 1862. 

Divine service will be held at six o'clock this evening, at which the officers, 
non-commissioned officers and privates, are invited to be present. Such of the 
men of the several companies who desire to attend will assemble at a quarter 
before six upon their respective company parades, and be conducted under the 
charge of a non-commissioned officer to the grove in front of the camp. 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 
B. F. Thurston, Colonel Commanding. 

Lieutenant and Adjutant. 



Headquarters, College Villa, 
Col. Zenas R. Bliss, June 6, 1S62. 

Commanding Tenth R. I. \ r oh. 
Sik: Vou will please detail ten men of your command for picket duty to- 
night, said ten men to be accompanied by a non-commissioned officer. 
This arrangement to be observed until further orders. 

By order of Brigadier-General STURGIS. 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Captain and A. A. G. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



1 39 




^< . /ST^ry^ts^-y 



Meanwhile the alarm for the safety of 
the capital had slowly subsided. Stone- 
wall Jackson, after accomplishing his mis- 
sion of alarming Washington, and saving 
Richmond, by preventing the junction of 
McDowell and McClellan, rapidly re- 
treated down the Valley, burning the 
bridges after him, and successfully eluded 
the combined pursuit of Fremont, Banks, 
and McDowell, with 60,000 men. <=»< 

Taking advantage of the confusion which had been created, the 
Confederate army defending Richmond under Gen. Joseph E. 
Johnston, made a furious and successful attack upon the left wing 
of General McClellan's army, May 31st, at Fair Oaks, but the 
day following, June 1st, it turned into disaster and rout, which sent 
them back to Richmond in a panic. General Johnston was 
severely wounded, and General Lee assumed the chief command. 

After Fair Oaks there was a pause of several weeks in active 
operations in front of Richmond. Rain storms of great severity, 
and Virginia mud, rendered further advance almost impossible. 
All was quiet also on the Potomac, among the troops around the 
capital, and the regular routine of camp-life continued at Camp 
Frieze, with its daily drills and details for guard and picket duty. 

May 29th, a second detachment for the regiment was sent for- 
ward under command of Colonel Bliss, and arrived at camp on 
Saturday evening, June 1st. The regiment was ^assigned to the 
brigade of General Sturgis, and was mustered into the service of 
the United States, by Adjutant-General Thomas, June 9th. 



I40 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Capt. William M. Hale, Company I, wrote : " Camp Frieze, 
Tennallytovvn, D. C, June 3d. The country is safe again. The 
gallant Tenth is on the tented field, or rather a side hill covered 
with beautiful oaks, so that perhaps it can hardly be called a field. 
At any rate here we are in Tennallytown, and if you know where 
that is, your knowledge of geography is more extensive than mine 
was a week ago, for I must confess that in the whole course of my 
travels, the name of this ancient borough had never before greeted 
my ears. And in fact I find that even the residents here are 
uncertain as to the precise locality. The postmaster says it is in 
'the District.' The oldest inhabitants say it is in Maryland, and 
the younger inhabitants don't care a copper where it is. 

"As to the personnel of the town, little requires to be said. A 
few barns and hungry looking houses straggle along a lean and 
hungry looking street. A tavern and blacksmith's shop confront 
each other, and are flanked by the post-office. In the rear of the 
latter and at the entrance of our camp, stands the village church, 
never, from appearances, a very notable structure, but now, alas ! 
sadly dilapidated, and converted to other uses than originally in- 
tended. I am not honored with the acquaintance of the worthy 
parson who formerly ministered to the wants of the little flock 
that gathered within its walls, but I can vouch that his ministra- 
tions were not more acceptable to them than are those of his suc- 
cessor, our worthy quartermaster, to the more numerous flock over 
whom he is called to preside. 

" Do you know what a ration is ? If not, Private Stiness, of Com- 
pany I (since promoted to corporal), can tell you, for I saw him 
receive one. It consisted of four bones, gross weight two and 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 141 

a quarter pounds, and some meat, gross weight the same, minus 
the two. The bones formerly constituted what are technically 
called the ' chuck ribs ' of some quadruped, genus, species and sex 
unknown. The corporal has carried those bones in his haver- 
sack ever since. He says he started with the intention of leaving 
his ' bones ' on the battlefield if necessary, and he is looking for a 
field that he thinks capable of holding them. He is the feature 
of the company, stands five feet eleven, in army socks, and girths 
a little less, and is known among the comrades as the ' little 
giant.' His first pair of army drawers reached to his chin. This 
he considers very economical, as it saves the necessity of shirts, 
and enables him to cut up those useful articles into pocket hand- 
kerchiefs. When he shoulders arms, he looks like a pumpkin 
with a bean-pole attachment, and, at charge bayonets, a private is 
detailed to hold up the muzzle, in which position they resemble 
a miniature battering ram with the point sharpened." 

H. T. Chase, of Company D, wrote June 3d : "They gave us 
rations of salt meat and pork in Washington which would almost 
motion to us when to come to dinner. We have eaten so much 
salt pork of late that we are inclined to speak in grunts, prick 
up our ears, and perform other animal demonstrations." Another 
man said he had some hard-tack that was marked " B. C." 
" Still I find no fault," wrote Chase. " These things have now 
changed for the better. I am well and good natured, but I never 
had so tough an experience in the same time in my life. This 
afternoon I saw a man sitting on a stump getting his hair cut. 
So I took my turn and went through the same operation. Charge, 
five cents. The barber belongs to one of the companies. He 



1 42 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

said he left a wife and two little children at home, but would not 
let his wife bring the children down to the cars, ' For,' said he, as 
the tears started, ' I could not stand it.' Saw a southern woman 
to-day give her little girl a penny. On my asking her what she 
would do with it, the mother replied, ' Oh, she will get sJiet of it ! ' 

Lieutenant DeWolf, of Company D, June 3d, wrote: "The 
elevation of our camp is considerable, for it appears to be down 
hill for three miles in every direction, the air is deliciously pure, 
water good and plentiful. To the north and west a line of gray 
mist marks the valley of the Potomac, whose rapid stream is con- 
fined at present to its summer bed, a deep, rocky channel of 150 
feet, on the east side of which a bottom 500 yards, strewn with 
huge boulders, marks the width of the winter torrents. The 
point nearest to us is Chain Bridge, three miles distant, whose 
approaches are strictly guarded. Just above, in the eddies of the 
rapids, your correspondent, with a couple of friends, dove and 
splashed and dabbled, the other day, attaining to that beatific con- 
dition so rare with a soldier, perfect cleanliness. 

" It was Sunday. Shadows from the dense Virginia forests 
overhung the stream. We had no Sabbath services, no chaplain 
then, but if the duty of godliness met no outward recognition, the 
very next injunction of the apostle was most scrupulously ob- 
served. 

"A few words will tell how we s:ot here. One night in the 
Washington barracks satisfied us all. We fell in with alacrity to 
march anywhere. The day was warm, so that the order to pile 
knapsacks and overcoats into the wagons was a great relief. On 
passing through the city, many friends from Providence waved 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 43 

their hats from sidewalk and windows, while those of us who were 
here last year recognized more than one familiar face among the 
Washingtonians. Governor Sprague accompanied us, and Messrs. 
Anthony, Browne and Sheffield of our Congressional delegation, 
have been constant in their attentions to our regiments. As we 
passed along the question was heard on every side, 'What regi- 
ments are those ? ' 

" ' Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island ?' 

" ' When were you enlisted ? ' 

"'Monday morning, and started Tuesday afternoon,' — of 
course we could not help adding — ' 800 more are on the way.' 

"'Good Lord!' ejaculated one by-stander, ' how many men 
have you got in Rhode Island? I thought you was played out 
loner ago.' 

" The Secretary of War is reported to have said that at the rate 
the 'emergency men ' were coming in, he should soon have 5 00 >- 
000, and he believed 100,000 of them would be from Rhode 
Island. 

" The march of six miles to this place, commencing with dust 
and ending with mud and a hard rain, was rather severe upon a 
few of the men ; but the next morning found them as well as ever. 

" Company D were fortunate enough to obtain dry quarters in 
a house. The next day was occupied in laying out the camp and 
pitching the tents. The Tenth Regiment occupies the side next 
the road, the Ninth west of them, and the battery just north of 
the latter. The men are provided with tents of the Sibley pattern, 
intended for fifteen each, but made to hold twenty-two the first 
night. The men sleep in a circle, heads outward, and at night, 



144 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

when every man is in his place, the resemblance of the group to 
a huge wheel, with the pile of muddy feet in the centre for a hub, 
every man a spoke, and the continuous line of knapsacks around 
the outside for the felloe, is decidedly striking. The officers have 
wall tents facing the streets upon which their several companies 
reside. 

"But, oh, the first guard mounting and posting of sentinels! 
In after time you shall hear our youthful sergeants and corporals 
telling their grandchildren, with a quiet laugh, of their blunders 
and perplexities on that rainy, dismal night. But at length the 
guards are posted. My beat is along a narrow lane skirting a 
little churchyard. The edifice itself, shabby and windowless, is 
filled with commissary stores. Its rafters echo anything but the 
voice of prayer. Up and clown I pace in the dreary rain, shielding 
the lock of my musket as well as I can in my rubber capote. A 
figure approaches, dimly visible in the shadows. 

" ' Halt ! Who goes there ? ' 

'' 'A friend, with the countersign.' 

" 'Advance, friend, and give the countersign.' 

"The talisman is whispered at the point of my bayonet, and 
the figure passes on. Now and then I hear a challenge at some 
distant point. The reply is not satisfactory, and the call is passed 
from guard to guard. 

" ' Corporal of the guard — post 17 ! ' 

"The sleepy officer stumbles through the mud to post 17, and 
the case is soon settled. 

" In the silence I resume my beat. Over the low paling, in a 
grass grown corner of the enclosure, half a dozen headstones, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 45 

yellow and streaked with rain, are visible. Round about the 
resting place where 

' The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.' 

has been heard the bustle of great camps, the tread of armies for 
more than a year, yet they slumber on. Their march is over. 
They have passed beyond the camps of life, and long ago heard 
the challenge of the other world sentinels. Had they the coun- 
tersign ? 

"As I pace my lonely round, I hear a bustle in the guard tent. 

" 'Third relief, turn out. Turn out ! ' 

" Presently they come, the challenge is exchanged. I am off 
duty for four hours, and fling myself to sleep upon the wet straw 
of the guard-tent, wedged in among twenty-two men, reeking 
with rain and perspiration, and do sleep soundly, — so good night." 

Corp. George T. Baker, of Company B, says : " The members 
of the Tenth Rhode Island were indeed in a sorry plight the first 
night in camp. They were without shelter in a dreary rainstorm, 
and darkness came on before the tents arrived in camp, when all 
hands, although wet and tired, went to work with a will, putting 
them up. Company E, Capt. Hopkins B. Cady, were detailed for 
picket duty about a mile in advance of our position. At a late 
hour, after the camp was still, Capt. Elisha Dyer, of Company B, 
made a visit to each tent to inquire after the welfare of his men. 
Stopping at the High School headquarters, he asked, ' Can I do 
anything for you, men ? ' ' Nothing, thank you, captain,' was the 
courteous reply, when some joker bent on mischief, added, 'We 
wouldn't mind having a candle, captain ! ' This proved too much 

19 



I46 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

for even the gravity of the captain, and he exclaimed, ' God 
bless yon, men, do you think you're in a hotel ? ' " 

Capt. A. Crawford Greene, Company G, wrote, June 5th : " Our 
regiments have had no time to perfect themselves in drill, neither 
have we received our necessary quartermaster stores. We are 
sadly in need of clothing, as many of our men wore the poorest 
garments they had, expecting to exchange them for the govern- 
ment uniform. The rations served have also been short of the 
allowance, but on the whole we are getting along well, and the 
mass of the men are contented. The health of the regiment is 
good, and with our present rations we may safely say that it will 
continue. (At present they consist of salt junk, bread, and coffee 
without milk.) The story of the poisoning of one of the men of 
Company G, in Baltimore, is entirely incorrect. We did not 
know but that we might have some trouble in that city, and dis- 
tributed ten rounds of ball-cartridges, but we had no occasion to 
use them ; on the contrary we were served with a good collation 
by the Baltimore Union Soldiers' Relief Association. One of the 
pickets of the New York Sixty-ninth Regiment, which is en- 
camped near us, was shot while on duty, Friday evening last. 
The scoundrel who committed the deed was arrested and sent to 
Washington on Saturday. He was a desperate looking fellow, 
and made his boast that he had shot six Union soldiers before. 
May he meet the retribution he so justly deserves. 

" The tented fields loom up on almost every side. Quite a 
large number of forts also surround us. The almost hourly 
belching forth of their numerous weapons of destruction give 
ample assurance that they are well manned and ready for action. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 47 

The sharp crack of the picket's rifle enlivens the monotony of 
camp-life. We shall now commence the regular routine of drill, 
which will keep us fully employed. At present a large num- 
ber of the secessionists have left the neighborhood, and re- 
treated to a safer locality further down in Dixie. The houses are 
generally left in charge of one or two slaves. The country is 
very rich and fertile, but owing to the cold dry spring vegetation 
is rather backward. The stock of grass is very heavy, the 
farmers tell us the yield being larger by far than last year. 
Quartermaster Cook is occupying the meeting-house of the town 
for our stores, to the disappointment of those who have been in 
the habit of appropriating it for religious purposes. We learn, 
however, that it is to be cleared out and that our beloved chaplain, 
Rev. Mr. Clapp, is to occupy it for religious services on the 
coming Sabbath. So far as our knowledge extends, there are a 
large number of Christian people in our regiments, and by the 
services held here nightly, we think they are determined to im- 
prove the opportunity for showing it, and when we return home 
we hope to be better men than when we came out." 

James F. Field, wrote Sunday, June 1st : "Friday night, the 
30th, was our first in camp after the march from Washington. 
It was dark and rainy, and I slept on the ground in an old build- 
ing, which looked as though it had been formerly a school-house or 
a church. The next day, Saturday, we had the job of pulling down 
our tents and putting them up again. The company tents are now 
in parallel rows, all facing one way with the officers' tents at the 
head of the rows. Just as our work was about completed a bat- 
terv of ten guns came thundering along from Washington, bound 



I48 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

for Harper's Ferry (threatened by Stonewall Jackson). It is 
about forty-five miles southwest of here. They reported that they 
left the second detachment of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments 
at the White House, and that they would be here in about an 
hour. This caused quite a thrill of joy in the camp. As soon 
as we were relieved, quite a number of us started up the road 
to meet them. Soon the line appeared in sight, and as they 
came up I was surprised to find several acquaintances, among 
them five from the High School. It had just commenced raining, 
and we welcomed them with a great deal of pleasure into our own 
tent, while we put up others for them. One of the second 
detachment (William A. Spicer), joined our 'mess,' which was 
very agreeable to him and to us. He brought with him two or 
three papers, and one-half of Thursday's Evening Press which were 
eagerly read. 

"June 6th. Dr. George D. Wilcox has been appointed surgeon, 
and Dr. Albert G. Sprague, assistant-surgeon. Rev. A. H. Clapp, 
of the Beneficent Church, our chaplain, is settled down in camp 
and is to be also the postmaster of the regiment. It is said that 
there are seven or eight thousand troops around here. Among 
them are the Sixty-third Indiana, the Fifty-ninth New York and 
Seventy-first New York, the Eleventh and Seventeenth Regulars, 
the Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers, the Tenth Rhode Island 
Battery, and a Pennsylvania regiment. A few rods from here is 
Fort Pennsylvania, mounting a dozen heavy guns. It is manned 
by a portion of the Fifty-ninth New York Volunteers. There are 
several other large forts and batteries near by which guard the 
approaches to the capital from the upper Potomac. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 149 

"June 8th. Our duties for each day are as follows: We are 
obliged to get up and form in line at half past four in the morning 
for 'reveille' or roll-call. After that each 'mess' has a 'squad 
drill ' for an hour, and then breakfast at half past six. Drill from 
ten to half past eleven. Dinner at one o'clock, preceded by an- 
other roll-call. From three to five 'company drill,' roll call at six, 
and supper at 6.30. Another roll-call at nine, 'tattoo ' and 'taps ' 
at 9.30, when all lights must be out, and all noise cease. 

"Yesterday I was on guard from nine o'clock a. m., until nine 
o'clock this morning. My beat was in front of the colonel's, 
adjutant's, and quartermaster's tents of the Ninth Regiment 
Rhode Island Volunteers (the Ninth and Tenth are in the same 
camp). In the day time I did not have much to do, simply pre- 
venting persons not belonging to the tents from going into them. 
At night, by mistake, the countersign was given to me, which 
should not have been clone as it is only intended for the outside 
guards. I had orders not to let any one pass between the tents 
across my beat, or in or out of the tent without the countersign. 
Some of the officers were not provided with the password as 
they had never been obliged to use it. Scarcely had I passed a 
few times, back and forth, when the quartermaster approached 
his tent. I stopped him, saying, ' Halt ! ' ' Who comes there ? ' He 
answered 'the quartermaster.' 'Advance quartermaster, and 
give the countersign ! ' He said that he was the quartermaster, 
but had not the countersign. I called for the corporal of the 
guard, who allowed him go to his tent. I also halted the col- 
onel, who gave me the countersign. To-day I ought to have 
slept, but I took the time for writing letters home." 



I^O 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Home correspondence was now com- 
menced with an alacrity which nearly 
"snowed under" the village post-office. 
Corp. C. F. Pabodie, of Company H, 
wrote a few days later : " We have our 
letters directed to us at Washington 
now, instead of at Tennallytown as at 
first. It appears that the village post- 
master had been in the habit of receiv- 
ing only one or two letters per day, previous to our arrival, and 
when he begun to get upwards of a thousand, he didn't know 
'what on 'airth to do with them.' They say he has been in the 
hospital ever since. 

"A detachment of the Seventeenth Regulars are now encamped 
near us. They are illy provided with camp utensils, knapsacks, 
overcoats, etc., and it is reported, help themselves to anything they 
can lay their hands on. I lost my overcoat while helping to pitch 
tents, but have held on to my knapsack. We get used to the fatigue 
here. My knapsack keeps growing lighter every day. We have 
had not much else but rain since we have been here. When it is 
pleasant it is quite warm. 

"Monday, June 2d, we (Company H), were informed that we 
were detailed for guard duty for the next twenty-four hours. At 
9.30 a. m., we were marched out and went through the ceremony 
of guard mounting and taking our position at the guard tent. 
Guard mounting is done in the following way : The new guard 
being drawn up in double line, are divided into three portions gen- 
erally. The first detachment are kept in line, the rest are allowed 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 5 I 

to hang around the guard tent until wanted. The first detach- 
ment then marches off under charge of the corporal, who puts the 
men in the places occupied by the old guard, who fall in behind. 
Thus they go round the lines. There are many minuta: required 
by the tactics which would take too long to describe. The cor- 
poral of the guard, after posting his men, has to remain at the 
guard tent till they are relieved, for whenever any disturbance 
happens in the lines, the guard, if he cannot decide nor quiet it 
himself, calls out the number of his post and calls for the corporal 
of the guard, who must proceed to the post and see what is the 
matter. 

" During the day, the guards are on two hours and off four 
hours. When there are enough the same arrangement is carried 
out again at night. But there were not enough of us, as the guard 
has to be doubled at night, so our men were on two hours and 
off two hours, the three detachments we had during the day, 
being divided into two. During the day the guard had orders to 
allow no one to pass in or out except commissioned officers, men 
with passes, men for water, and civilians. At night a counter- 
sign was given them, and no one was allowed to pass except with 
that countersign. The orders were to pass all men to the guard 
house, who attempted to come in without the word. Towards 
morning I had just started away from the guard house accom- 
panying the men who were to relieve my guard then on duty, 
when the cry was passed along the lines for the corporal of the 
guard, post 16. I hurried to the post designated, which was 
down at the extremity of the camp in a swamp, and found the 
affair as follows : Number 15, was a small, very stupid Irishman, 



I52 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

who had got off his beat into number 16's beat, and, being chal- 
lenged, had forgotten the countersign. Number 16 held him at 
the point of the bayonet, and threatened to run him through if 
he stirred. When I reached them, number 15 was shaking with 
fear, and when I inquired what was the matter, could hardly ejacu- 
late that he had forgotten the countersign. This round was the 
hardest one I made during the night. It was so dark I could not 
see the length of my musket ahead, except when it lightened, 
and could only find the old guard by calling out so they could 
hear us and challenge us. Once I ran against a stump about 
three feet high, and tumbled over, musket and all. We were 
glad to be relieved at ten the next morning. The day after being 
on guard we were relieved from all duty, so we had the whole 
day to rest in." 

" Chain Bridge," wrote Lieut. C. F. Phillips, " barricaded and 
guarded by a German regiment, is about two miles to the left of 
our camp. The position of the Tenth Rhode Island Battery, 
recently arrived, is at the foot of the slope of our camp. They 
have for neighbors an artillery company of the regular army. 
Our guard tent is for the most part orderly except in one in- 
stance, when the man with iron jaws persisted in chewing up 
several tent pins into fragments, which had been improvised as a 
' gag ' to keep him quiet. 

" Picket duty. The first detail from Company B for picket 
duty was made two or three nights ago, in the midst of a furious 
thunder storm. The squad was accompanied by Captain Dyer, 
and marched perhaps two miles down the Fredericktown road, 
and halted in front of a wheelwright shop. Captain Dyer went to 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 5 3. 

the adjoining house for the key of the shop and knocked. 
Instantly the lights inside were extinguished, but as the knocking 
grew louder a head appeared at an upper window. ' What do you 
want?' 'The key of your wagon shop and a light.' ' Well, you 
won't get them,' and down went the window with a bang. ' Take 
forcible possession of the shop,' shouted Captain Dyer, and the 
key and light were instantly forthcoming, just in time to save the 
door, and the men, wet to the skin, found a shelter. The wheel- 
wright shop from that hour became the headquarters of the 
picket guard, and the picket line was established about half a mile 
beyond." 

An amusing capture was made during the night by Captain 
Dyer's men, which is thus described in the author's personal 
narrative : 

" Last night a fellow was brought in from our picket line who 
had stayed out too late, courting one of the fair F. F. Y.'s. He 
was decked out in light vest and pants, and came galloping along 
on horseback, when Fiske, one of our mess, jumped into the mid- 
dle of the road, with bayonet at the charge, and yelled, 'Who 
goes there ? ' The rider jumped back in his stirrups and pulled 
up, badly frightened, exclaiming, ' It's m-m-me ! ' ' Advance me 
and give the countersign ! ' 'Twas no go, he had to give it up. 
'Then you're my prisoner," says Fiske, and he had to go into 
camp with us for the rest of the night, and was turned over to 
the officer of the guard. Colonel Robbins told one of the guard 
'to keep his eye on that fellow who had been out to see his gal ! ' 
'Twas pretty rough, I'll admit, but I guess he'll keep better 

hours in future." 
20 



154 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Bathing and swimming at 
Chain Bridge, on the Poto- 
mac, and in Rock Creek, 
near by, were luxuries which 
we greatly enjoyed during 
our month's stay at Camp 
Frieze, and they did much, 
no doubt, towards promoting 
the health of the regiment. 
" On the first Sunday after- 
noon, the chaplain not hav- 
ing yet arrived, a company 
of us obtained permission for 
a tramp to Rock Creek. We 
kept well together, as the 
neighborhood was considered 
unfriendly. We took our canteens along, which served a novel 
and useful purpose. The banks were lined with soldiers enjoying 
the cleansing and reviving influences of the water." 

"Last Saturday," wrote James F. Field, "nine of us crossed 
the Potomac into Virginia. We obtained a pass from Captain 
Dyer, endorsed by Colonel Bliss, which allowed us to go over the 
river into Virginia, if we behaved ourselves, which we did ac- 
cordingly. The principal road to the Potomac was so narrow in 
some places as to allow but one carriage to pass along. What 
they do when two carriages meet I do not know. We tramped 
about rive miles in going, not knowing exactly the way, but in 
returning to camp we traveled only two miles. We went across the 



Cleaning Up. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 55 

Potomac on Chain Bridge, which is made of wood, with seven heavy 
stone abutments. It was formerly held by chains, which probably 
gave it the name of Chain Bridge. There was a guard of artil- 
lery stationed on this side of the bridge to prevent any one from 
going across without a pass. Commanding the bridge and on a 
level with it was an earthen breastwork, pierced for three guns, 
which could sweep the bridge if necessary. On a high bluff right 
above this is another earthwork, with three or four heavy guns, 
which command the opposite shore. Near the centre of the 
bridge are two large, heavy gates, which completely divide the 
bridge. The gates are plated with iron, with slits for skirmish- 
ers and pickets to fire through, which were dented in several 
places by bullet and rifle-balls fired by secession pickets. The 
river at that time was only about forty or fifty feet wide, it being 
the dry season. It is of a muddy color, about the same as the 
color of the soil. We walked about a quarter of a mile into Vir- 
ginia, and bathed ourselves thoroughly in a stream which flowed 
into the Potomac. Close to the bank were the remains of some 
bowers or huts, which, probably, the secession pickets had made 
for their quarters, as there were remains of fire-places near them. 
The clay was the warmest that we have yet had, the thermometer 
being at camp that noon, 104 . On our way back we stopped at 
' Fort Gaines.' It mounted four 32-pound barbette guns. It 
is garrisoned by a company of the Fifty-ninth New York Volun- 
teers. The earthwork was about ten or twelve feet thick, with a 
ditch about as wide and six or eight feet deep, on the outside of 
which were large trees, laid lengthwise, to hinder infantry from 
iroinc; through them to the fort." 



i^6 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




>N CAMP, near Tennallytown, D. C, June ioth. 

LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR. 

"To-day is a rainy one in camp, and the boys 
are either asleep, writing letters, or taking it 
easy. By General Orders Xo. i, issued yester- 
day, our camp will hereafter be known as Camp 
Frieze, and the strictest discipline and good 
order will be observed. According to the order 
there will be eleven calls sounded each day, as 
follows: Reveille, at 4.30 o'clock a. m. ; Police call, Breakfast, 
6.30 A. m. ; Sick call at 7 a. m. ; Adjutant's call at 8.45 a. m. ; 
Guard-mounting at 9 a. m. ; Orderly call at 12 m. ; Roast Beef, 
Dinner, at 1 p. m. ; Supper, 6.30 p. m. ; Retreat at sunset (when 
the companies form under arms) ; Tattoo at 9 p. m. ; Taps 9.30 p. 
m. There are four roll calls each day, and as many drills. Divine 
service will be held every Sunday at 1 1 a. m. (For full order, see 
pages 77, 7S and 79.) 

Our tents are arranged in parallel rows, with streets or ave- 
nues between. Company A, Captain Taber, has Atwood avenue, 
named in honor of Mrs. Alice Atwood, who made and presented 
the men with a hundred pin-cushions, filled with pins. Company 
B, Captain Dyer, has Dyer avenue ; Company C, Captain Yose, 
Broadway ; Company D, Captain Dunham, Benefit street, and so 
on. The college boys of Brown, in the tent adjoining ours, call 
their quarters 'Hope College.' Per order of the High School 
boys I have printed the sign 'Whang Hotel,' on a board, and 
hung it up over our tent opening. 'Whang' is a broad 'slang' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 57 

expression for our broader army shoes, seventeen pairs of which 
lie mixed up round the centre-pole every night. The names of the 
proprietors are as follows : Sergt. Charles L. Stafford, Corporals 
William P. Vaughan, George T. Baker, John B. Kelly, Nathan 
H. Baker, and high privates Edwin B. Fiske, John A. Reynolds, 
Frank Frost, James F. Field, F. F. Tingley, Charles B. Greene, 
Charles T. Greene, Horace K. Blanchard, George H. Sparhawk, 
William A. Spicer, David Hunt, and Jesse M. Bush. William 
Grant and Ira Wilbur are in Company E, Captain Cady. 

" Many of the tents in the other companies have pet names, 
such as ' Uncle Tom's Cabin,' 'Hawkins's Happy Family,' 'Blue 
Point House,' 'Mess of Cabbage, Company F,' 'Chateau de 
Salt Junk,' and 'The Rhubarb Mess' of Company G. So you 
see there is considerable 'spice' mixed with army life. There 
is indeed some 'fun,' although a great deal more of the reverse 
character. Every. morning we have to be up and in the ranks at 
half past four, which you must know is hard for some of us. So 
also are the military drills in the hot sun morning and afternoon, 
We sleep on the hard ground with only a thin layer of straw and 
a rubber blanket to keep off the dampness. Yet we sleep well, 
with our knapsacks under our heads, and one blanket apiece for 
a covering. 

" Fiske, of our ' mess,' told Captain Dyer that it was pretty 
'tough' for him to come down to such hard fare, as for two or 
three weeks before enlisting he'd been out 'visiting' among 
'his folks,' and never had such high living in his life. Another 
said that he was going to write home, that he'd never object any 
more to 'corned beef and cabbage ' once a week. 



is8 



THE TENTH REGIMENT. 




H A(^D TaO<- 



" Our rations have thus far 
consisted of salt meat and 
pork, 'hard tack' or hard 
crackers, and black, strong 
coffee. They have been of 
such a uniformly bad quality 
since we arrived in Washing- 
ton, that some of us have been 
out to a neighboring farm- 
house, to get a good square 
meal for twentv-five cents ! 



And didn't it go good? One trouble is that there is no variety to 
our bill of fare, it is the same old horse day after clay." As I now 
look back upon the situation, it reminds me of the story of a 
boarder in a small country tavern, who came clown into the 
dining-room one morning, and casting a sweeping glance over 
the table, jammed down into his chair, and muttered under his 
breath, "Liver again, of course. We've had liver every morning 
for two weeks." " What's the matter," asked the landlady, " aren't 
you feeling well this morning ? " " No, ma'am," he replied, shortly, 
"I am suffering with liver complaint." 

But thanks to the efficiency of our new quartermaster, James 
11. Armington, our rations greatly improved after this time. He 
was second lieutenant of Company D, and by General Orders 
No. ii, June 7th, was promoted to first lieutenant Company C, 
and detailed as quartermaster. He proceeded to Washington, 
and pressed our claims upon the Commissary Department with 
such persistency that he was ordered to report under arrest. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 59 

The return of the genial quartermaster to camp, and his 
report at headquarters, with the order of arrest signed by General 
Wadsworth, caused a considerable sensation. Colonel Bliss 
laughed heartily, and thought it was a good joke on Armington, 
but sustained him by issuing General Orders No. 1 5, relieving 
him from arrest. He proved a very capable and faithful quarter- 
master, and our 'rations' steadily improved, but at the best 
" Ther warn't overly much pie et, endiuin' ' the arm v.' 

Captain Duckworth, of Company H, furnishes the following 

for publication : 

Brooklyn, X. Y.,July 12, i^ s ;- 
Maj. Christopher Duckworth, 

Pawtucket, R. I. 

My Dear Major: My friend Stiness has this day forwarded me the copy of 
General Orders No. 15, issued at headquarters of the Tenth Rhode Island Vol- 
unteers, June 16, 1862. Permit me to thank you, not only for the preservation 
of this old document, but for vour kindness in sending it to me. 

How much it reminds me of the particular instance which caused the ordering 
of my arrest: and of the good fellow, and brave soldier, who was with me on 
the occasion, Adjt. John F. Tobey, and who has now -'passed to his rest." 
Full well, too. do I remember the martinet who ordered me to " report under 
arrest," and the hearty laugh with which his explanation for ordering me under 
arrest was received, when he was waited upon by Colonel Bliss and Adjutant 
Tobey. I remember also, that this same officer was to have been nominated by 
Hon. John P. Hale, for a brigadier-general, but that after he (Hale) had visited 
our camp, in company with Governor Anthony, the said officer was not nomi- 
nated, and did not receive that honor, while his brother officers who were asso- 
ciated with him were nominated and confirmed as brigadier-generals. 

I should be very much pleased to meet you, and I hope that whenever you 

visit your brother here, vou will not forget to call on me. With kind regards 

I am 

Verv truly yours, 

JAMES II. ARMINGTON. 



i6o 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




"Yesterday we were mustered into the 
service of the United States by Adjt.-Gen. 
Lorenzo Thomas, United States Army. 
There was no 'special service at Washing- 
ton ' in the agreement. The general said 
there was but one oath for a Union soldier to 
take, and that was the unconditional one, to 
serve in any place where he was ordered 
We all concluded therefore to 'take it straight.' After the oath, 
which we repeated slowly after General Thomas, he called out, 
' Now, three cheers for your flag, men ! ' which were heartily given." 
Much importance is attached by professional soldiers to this outward 
demonstration of respect for our country's flag, and certainly 
every Union soldier and sailor will respond to the sentiment 

" Oft" with your cap as the flag goes by ! 
And let the heart have its say. 
You're man enough for a tear in your e\e, 
That you will not wipe away." 

"Adjutant-General Thomas had a very difficult place to fill. 
Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, relied on him greatly in the 
management of military affairs, so suddenly and so vastly brought 
into the most prominent of all functions of the government. It 
was at that time thought important that as much eclat as possible 
should be given to the arrival of the volunteer regiments which 
came to re-enforce the army, and the adjutant-general was called 
upon to make addresses, present flags, and attend to the muster- 
ing exercises, etc., at the various camps around the capital." (See 
portrait, page 139.) 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 6 I 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols ■ 

Camp near Tennallytown, D. C, June 7. i s* , j . 
Special Orders Xo. 4. 

The Tenth Battery of Rhode Island Light Artillery, commanded by Capt. 

Edwin C. Gallup, is hereby attached to this regiment, and will be designated as 

Company " L." 

15 \ order of 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Benjamin 1". Thurston, Colonel Commanding. 

Lieutenant and Adjutant. 



Note. Maj. Charles II. Merriman, Capt. Charles II. Dunham, Company D, and Adjt. Ben- 
jamin F. Thurston, went out with the regiment, and served with it until June 9th, but resigned 
and returned home before the officers' commissions were issued. 



The blanks in the regimental staff were filled, and the officers mustered in as 
follows, June 9. 1S62 : 

Zenas R. P>li>s, Colonel: John F. Tobey, Adjutant: 

James Shaw, Jr., Lieutenant-Colonel ; James II. Armington, LJuartermaster ; 
Jacob Babbitt, Major: Edward K. Glezen, Sergeant-Major ; 

George D. Wilcox, Surgeon : Lysander Flagg, Quartermaster-Ser- 

Albert (i. Sprague, Assistant-Sur- geant: 

geon : James O. Swan. Commissary-Sergeant; 

A. Huntington Clapp, Chaplain: Charles G. King, Hospital Steward. 



Headquarters, Camp Frieze, 
June 10, 1862, 

Captains of companies will furnish this office requisitions for such clothing as 
is necessary tor the men, also requisition tor arms for each member of the com- 
pany, and such equipments as are required, in addition to those on hand, to 
complete the equipment of the men. 

By order of 

ZENAS R. BLISS. 

John F. Tobey, Colonel Commanding. 

Lieutenant and , Adjutant. 

21 



[62 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Our uniforms were a bad fit. They did not 
take our measure and make them to order. 
The government appeared to cut out clothes 
not according to the shape of the boy, but to 
what he was expected to grow to. Then our 
altitude ranged from four feet six to six feet 
four. Private Maguire said he was four foot ten 
or ten foot four, he afrsremembered which. 
" We have received our blue overcoats, but mine 
is a very loose tit. We had to take them just 
as they came, but can 'swap' with some 
other fellow. Beside the overcoat, each of us 
received a woolen blanket, a rubber blanket, 
some coarse shirts and drawers, two pairs socks 
or 'foot-gear,' cap, one pair 'pontoons' or army 
shoes, one knapsack, one haversack, and one blue blouse. Many 
of us are disappointed in the non-arrival of the promised invoice 
of government trousers from Washington. The old ones we 
brought from home are getting pretty dilapidated. The wear and 
tear of camp-life, with the rain, and slippery mud which so quickly 
follows here, have done their work, and its getting a little un- 
pleasant and embarrassing to appear in line." "To realize what 
this southern mud is," wrote one of the privates, "spread several 
inches of tar all over your back-yard, and then try to walk through 
it ; and when you have succeeded in getting it well baked on to 
your 'pontoons' try to make them presentable for dress parade." 
" If you decide to send anything, don't forget to put in some 
blacking and a brush, for we haven't half enough to go round." 



Dressed Up. 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. 163 

"June 10th. I was handed your letter while washing the mess- 
pans and cups. Two are detailed for this duty each day. How 
do we like the job? Well, we don't like it. I never realized before 
how much easier it is to cat a good dinner than to ' pick up ' and 
wash the dishes afterwards. One of the boys says when he en- 
lists again he's going to have it all put down in black and white, 
just what he's got to do, and helping the cook wash the dishes 
and cleaning up the camp won't be in it. 

" We have little real cause for complaint. We have good offi- 
cers, well-known to you all at home, who treat the men with 
the kindest consideration. Captain Dyer is a model commander, 
and our company has the right of the line, he being the senior 
captain. He gave us quite a lively exercise the other morning, 
in military movements. One of the hardest things for us is to get 
up early enough in the morning. Reveille is sounded at half past 
four, when we form in line for roll-call, generally in a very drowsy- 
headed condition. The captain thought he'd wake us up and 
warm us up too. So he started us off on the 'double-quick,' a 
very pretty movement when well executed by a wide awake, well 
disciplined company on a level road, but our boys made a very pretty 
mess of it, half asleep, on a down-hill and dusty road. We hadn't 
gone far when unfortunate number one lost the step, stumbled 
and fell. ' Left ! left ! left ! ' shouted Captain Dyer sharply, stamp- 
ing his left foot on the ground, to give force to the word, ' Get 
the step there, men ! ' But ' getting the step ' was an easier thing 
for the tongue to say than for some awkward feet to do. Grace- 
ful John Reynolds, of our mess, now lost the step, and, while 
attempting to leap over the back of his file leader, was rolled over 



164 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

and over into the ditch by the wayside. Then number three fol- 
lowed, displaying his broad 'whangs,' alias army shoes, to the rising 
sun, and so the fun went on, till order was at length restored, and 
we returned to camp as wide-awake and smiling a company as you 
can find in 'Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.' 

" It was John Reynolds's night for guard duty, and the boys 
determined to 'put up a job on him,' and you should have seen 
the merchandise piled up in his allotted place in the tent. When 
he came in at a late hour, he went stumbling over the pile of 
rubbish, and got very angry at first, but knowing the crowd, he 
concluded 'the easiest way's to take it as it comes.' He not 
only took the pile of rubbish as it came, but proceeded to throw 
it in every direction, regardless of where it hit, until he had 
cleared out his quarters. In vain arose the general protest — he 
satisfied his revengeful feelings — and composed himself to rest 
with calm satisfaction. It was fortunate there were no broken 
heads." 

Company K: "The boys have clone well, thus far, in not 
getting caught 'napping' on picket duty. You remember Samuel 
Mitchell. He and Jesse Eddy, Zephaniah Brown, and Carlo 
Mauran belong to Company K. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw tried 
to pass Sam the other night without the countersign. He said 
he must pass as he was making the rounds of the camp. But 
Sam replied, ' Xo, sir, you can't pass that on me,' and called the 
corporal of the guard. Colonel Bliss and Captain Dyer have 
also happened round on the picket line, and have tried, on some 
pretence or other, to get the boys to let them examine their 
muskets. No guns have been captured yet, however. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 65 

"June 1 2th. Last night was my first experience ' on picket.' 
The night was dark, the moon being off ' on an eclipse.' Our 
squad marched down a lonesome-looking road, about a mile and a 
half toward Fredericktown, and attempted to force an entrance 
into an old school-house by the roadside, but the barred shutters 
resisted all our efforts. We never felt so sorry for a school lock- 
out before ! We marched further on, and took the best quarters 
we could get, in a wheelwright shop, opening to the road. I was 
on 'the relief,' and had just got fairly into an uncomfortable 
snooze, when we were all suddenly startled by an alarm, and or- 
dered by the sergeant to buckle on equipments, right shoulder 
arms, and double-quick down the road for the picket line — all the 
work of perhaps two or three minutes. Were we wide awake ? 
Oh, yes, some, if not some scared ! But the trouble was soon 
explained. Some drunken soldiers from a neighboring regiment 
were attempting to pass our line without the countersign. Order 
was soon restored, and we were glad to march back to quarters, 
with all the arms and legs we brought out. It was about four 
o'clock in the morning when I found myself posted as sentinel. 
I paced my beat regularly, back and forth, nothing escaping my 
keen vision. Suddenly there came the sound of approaching 
wheels ; when, with bayonet at the charge, and, summoning all my 
voice to command, I called a ' Halt ! ' and the driver instantly 
halted! He proved to be a fishmonger on his early way to 
Georgetown. He strongly protested, — and his fish also strongly 
protested, against being interfered with — but we marched fish and 
fisherman to the sergeant of the guard, as orders were to let 
nobody pass without the countersign. 



1 66 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

"June 14th. There is nothing that gives such delight as 
boxes from home. When a box arrives at camp, the eatable 
portion of the contents, if sent to any of our boys, is con- 
sidered the common property of the mess. When my box was 
"pined, therefore, the boys all gathered round me, and, as each 
package was taken out, they set up a terrible yelling and howl- 
ing, whether they knew what was in it or not. You can guess 
the peanuts disappeared in double-quick time, and, when I came 
to the lemons, there was 'tremendous applause and cheering in 
the galleries ! ' We not only had lots of fun over the box, but it 
was worth almost its weight in gold, for it contained every- 
thing we wanted. The combined knife, fork and spoon which 
can be folded up and carried in the pocket or haversack, will be 
very useful, and will allow my fingers to take a rest, as no army 
knives and forks have yet been issued. The towels, also, are just 
what I needed, as I've been trying to make that same poor, single 
towel go for more than a fortnight ! You ought to have seen me 
skinning my fingers trying to wash it ! But relief has come at 
last, and the contrabands now come round regularly for any 
washing on hand. So I 'put mine out,' to the tune of six cents 
a piece for shirts, and so on. I shall like the woolen shirts very 
much. I was getting to be truly 'a shiftless concern.' I never ate 
any ham which tasted so good as that in the box; and we should 
have had small pieces if the whole seventeen had staid to dinner, 
as some of us are 'great feeders.' We are very much like the 
boys at the Thanksgiving dinner who kept on eating as long as 
the supply lasted. So it was agreed that as quite a squad was 
going to the Potomac for a swim, those who remained at camp 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 67 

should have the ham ; and I tell you we enjoyed it, to the last 
hitch ! The mustard you sent flavored it in good shape, and will 
also help season the ' salt horse,' as you wrote. 

" I am going to dig a hole right under my knapsack, and drop 
the box in, with the top a little above the ground. This, with my 
blue army overcoat, will make a good pillow at night. It will not 
make things damp in the box, because the soil, where the rain 
does not reach it, is very dry and hard." 

Some home messages and directions which came with the box : 
" We didn't want to put in too much so as to make your knap- 
sack too heavy. The lemons and oranges are in, as many as 
could be. The sugar we thought would be handy for lemonade. 
The sardines and peanuts will be acceptable, I guess, as well as 
the sugar ham. That is ' mustard ' in the two bottles. We 
thought it would go well with the ham, and would season up the 
'salt horse.' We put in the woolen shirts, beside two calico ones. 
The little roll of old cloth and glove fingers mother thought 
would be useful, if your toes were sore after marching. The box 
of salve you can use the same as tallow. ' Old Morse's ' Dockroot is 
to keep your stomach in good trim, but you are not to use it 
unless you really need it. It might have the same effect upon 
you that Brandreth's pills had upon the old lady. We should 
want more than your cap to come home with the regiment. The 
necktie and collars are also in. The fancy pillow is filled with 
feathers from the old black hen. Mother covered it with dark 
cloth so that it would not appear soiled so soon. The padlock, 
which is non est in this box shall be e pluribus unum in the second. 
The pocket inkstand is right clown in one corner. The paper, 



1 68 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Letters from Home. 



envelopes, pencils, pens, and jack- 
knife, all went into the portfolio. 
There was no room for the shoe- 
brush, although we got in a box 
of blacking. We had an idea 
of putting in some cream-cakes 
with the oranges, but were afraid 
they would get flattened and sour. 
In regard to the tea mother says, 
if you chew a little while marching, you won't be half so thirsty." 
This reminds the author of a story of the virtues of pennyroyal 
tea, one of the old-time remedies. A good old lady, in telling 
her experience, said she had seen a great deal of trouble through 
life, but, she continued, ' I have triumphed over it all with my 
three Ps, 'Prayer, Patience, and Pennyroyal ! ' " 

In approving of the presence of ladies at our recent reunions, 
General Rogers said: "The anxiety, the suffering, and the 
suspense, endured by the mothers and sisters of the soldiers, 
during the war, can never be fitly measured. Theirs was the ser- 
vice which furrowed the brow and whitened the hair." 

June 14th. A letter to the writer says : " It was college ex- 
hibition (class-day), Thursday, and the orator was a student named 
Addeman, who went out in your regiment. He got a leave of 
absence to come on and deliver his oration, and then went back 
the same night. His subject was 'The Alliance of Scholarship 
and Patriotism.' The audience cheered him like fun, I can tell 
you, but he looked kind o' gray, as though he was smelling 'salt- 
horse,' in the distance ! " 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. 1 69 

Two more home letters are added for the special entertainment 
of our youthful readers : 

" Providence, June 4th. I meant last night to be up this 
morning, at half past four, and write this letter, to show you that 
I could be as smart as some other folks ! I woke up and double- 
quicked it out to the clock, when behold, to my astonishment, the 
hands were in the neighborhood of six 1 

"I guess by this time you'll like to hear how we are all flour- 
ishing in Providence, and I shouldn't wonder either if you'd like 
to be here yourself, on the identical old lounge sleeping off the 
effects of 'salt-horse' and those beautiful soft crackers! I guess 
slippers would feel better than 'whangs.' I suppose you are 
as tough now as a pitch knot, can eat anything or nothing, 
probably just as it happens ; but I mind that your stomach now 
and then requires a meal at a neighboring farmdiouse. How 
glorious it must be to sleep sixteen in a bed, with now and then 
the variety of standing out in a thunder-storm to shoot secesh. 
There was a letter in the Press the other night about your regi- 
ment, and it said the men were very much disappointed because 
there was no fighting to do. Now don't you have any such 
'gassy' talk as that. Thev may take you at your word and send 
you right on to Richmond ! Do you know of anybody in your 
regiment that was poisoned in Baltimore? There was such a 
rumor in last Saturday evening's Press. It didn't give any name, 
and was enough to frighten anybody to death. I think it was 
a story started by the New York Tribune to sell the papers. I 
guess if you hadn't got away that night, you wouldn't have got to 
the war at all. We are thinking vou are sick, or out on picket 



I 70 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

duty or something, the whole time. The fact is, we have learned 
a lesson in intellectual philosophy, viz. : People are fools to let 
green boys go to the war ! You are a green boy ! Therefore we 
were fools to let you 2,0 ! Bv the way, I haven't seen any of that 
bounty money I was to have for being on your side ! 

"We are very glad to hear you are having such 'a gay old 
time,' but you mustn't try to make it out any better than it really 
is. Your friend Sam Mitchell said the same thing in his first 
letter, in his second he didn't say anything about it, and in his 
third he sent home three sheets of blank paper. His father 
didn't know what had come over Sam. It now appears that he 
wrote his letter one evening, in his tent, and had just finished it 
when lights were ordered to be put out. In the dark he sent 
home the three sheets of blank paper by mistake, and kept all 
the cream of the correspondence to himself ! Write as often as 
you can. Enclosed you will find some postage stamps. 

" Your friends went trouting together yesterday and brought 
home some nice ones. We had one for breakfast thirteen or 
fourteen inches long. It tasted about right I can tell you ; 
but you will pardon me for writing about the delicacies that grace 
our table. Still, Mary, the cook, wants me to ask you if you've 
had any waffles since vou went away ? I told her the nearest to 
them you had written about was having some Virginia hoe-cake. 
You have enough to eat, now, don't you ? Our cherries are 
ripening fast. The peaches will be ready for eating about the 
time of your return. Your fowls are all in good health, and the 
chickens increasing in stature. The rooster and other friends 
send love. So good-bye, from the folks at home." 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. i;i 

The following selection will conclude " letters from home : " 

" Providence, June 6th. Would you like to know what all 
the girls are up to, while all the boys, 'beaux,' I mean, are gone 
off to the war ? Well here we are, trying to make the best of it, 
but it is real 'Old Maidendom,' for it seems as if almost every- 
body that we knew has gone. When we go anywhere now, in 
the evening, we must get back the best way we can, three or four 
together perhaps. Isn't it too bad ? I did not have even time to 
bid you good-bye, you went off in such a burr}'. I started for the 
depot to see you off, and arrived only to find, not you, but a crowd 
of people, and an empty depot. You must have had a delightful 
journey from your description. Such nice accommodations on the 
floor; such delicate rations of sandwiches and sponge-cake ! 

"I should like to be out to your camp, if only for just a few 
minutes, to see how you are living, and how nicely you keep your 
tent that you live in. Please write me all about your soldier-life 
if you can find time. Tell me how you get along housekeeping ; 
who makes the fires, cooks the breakfast, and fries the hot cakes 
in the morning. Auntie says you must try to take good care of 
yourself, and be careful and keep out of danger ! " 

June 16th, Lieutenant DeWolf wrote : "Our commissarist, has 
now become pretty well regulated, and we have rations of pork, 
bacon, salt beef, fresh beef, loaf-bread, hard bread, beans, rice, 
coffee, tea, sugar, vinegar, and salt, with the accessories of soap 
and candles. Gradually such conveniences as cups, plates, knives 
forks and spoons are being supplied. Our government pantaloons 
have also arrived, and we are no longer obliged to take the back- 
ward march at the approach of visitors." 



I 72 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 









I \ mX V 


%hB 




Kl&j£; 


j J^H 




I /. 










X. 







Henry T. Chace, of Company D, 
declares that his "'ferry-boats,' alias 
'whangs,' alias 'scows,' alias 'tan- 
yards,' alias 'army shoes,' alias 'pon- 
toons,' are great institutions : Easy 
to march in, easy to drill in, and 
large enough to sleep in. They are 
so broad-soled, that I have taken one 
off, and, putting a piece of brown 
paper on it, have improvised a satis- 
factorv writing-desk." 
Puss in Army shoes. Thirty years later an old soldier 

said to his wife, "Mrs. Sage, I should like to know whose 'ferry- 
boats ' those are that I stumbled over in the hall ? " " Ferry-boats, 
indeed, sir ! Those are my shoes. Very polite of you to call 
them ferry-boats ! " "I didn't say 'ferry-boats,' Mrs. Sage; you 
misunderstood me — 'fairy boots' — I said, my dear." 

" It is pleasant to-day, and the boys feel accordingly jolly. The 
morning has been improved by most of the mess in cleaning our 
guns and in writing home. I have been out with Mason sweep- 
ing Benefit street in front of our quarters. Price and I are now 
at the foot of a tree, sitting on the ground, just above the 
Athenaeum tent. Terms for board in this tent $3.00 per year, 
commanding officers no charge. Three of the tents are emptied 
of their contents, and the proprietors are busy 'cleaning house! ' 
Some of the tents have spruce trees located near the doors, with 
short branches and bark off, which serve as clothes-horses, and 
blankets, coats, and towels, are out for an airing. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 73 

" Samuel Dorrance is sitting on a pile of knapsacks, overcoats, 
and blankets, putting a letter ' D ' on his cap. Mr. Vose, who 
used to keep a shoe store near father's, is now captain of the 
seventh ward company, called 'Company C 

"Wednesday, June 4th. At about six, this evening, nearly 
three hundred of the regiment gathered together upon the rising- 
ground between the streets of Companies B and L, and formed in 
hollow square to our chaplain, Rev. Mr. Clapp, for an introduc- 
tory Divine service. It commenced with singing the familiar 
hymn, 'All hail the power of Jesus' name,' and was followed by 
the reading of the twenty-seventh psalm, remarks and prayer by 
the chaplain. During the meeting, which was an interesting one, 
we had a slight shower. We are now waiting for rations. These 
have improved. When they are served we form in line and 
march to the foot of the street, and receive them in turn. This 
morning we had meat, bread, and coffee, with a dish of cold beans, 
which was good enough as long as it lasted, but there wasn't 
enough to go round. I didn't hanker after either the beans or 
the strong black coffee. So, with others, I took a sharp stick for 
a fork, and holding several slices of bread before the fire, 'dry 
toast for three,' soon crowned our efforts. We have found out 
that 'fingers were made before forks,' and that knives, plates, and 
napkins, cups, and saucers, are all modern innovations. When I 
return home you will fail to elicit a single growl from me, whether 
the meat is cooked too much or too little. Camp-life is thus doing 
us good in making us willing and obliging. 

"Raining again to-night, and the company streets are slippery 
and disagreeable, but we must take our turn for guard duty. 




1 74 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Fred Armington and John Cady from our 
'mess,' N. W. Aldrich, Aborn, and New- 
comb, all of Company D, with thirty five 
from other companies, are off to-night on 
picket duty, under command of Lieut. 
Stephen Thurber, of Company E. It 
promises to be a dark and rainy night. 
Aldrich, the youthful volunteer, marching 
senator n. w. Aidrich. with his comrades to the post of duty, 
worthy to command and ready to obey, is a fitting type of the 
private soldier in the War for the Union. Content to serve in 
an humble position in times of trial and danger, he was soon 
called by his native state as her chosen representative at the 
capital, which his youthful footsteps had hastened to defend. 
He has long continued, as senior senator, to dignify and adorn 
the high position of official trust committed to his charge. At 
one of our regimental reunions Senator Aldrich spoke highly of 
the officers of the regiment and of his own company, saying to 
them he owed some of the first and best lessons of his life. He 
learned by his service with them that in every sphere of life one 
can show the greatest amount of heroism by performing the 
duties assigned to him in a quiet and unobstrusive manner. The 
privates of the Tenth Rhode Island Regiment learned in their 
brief campaign a lesson which should last them through life — 
that heroism is not in brilliant achievement, but in an unselfish 
devotion to duty, and the performance of every trust committed 
to them in a manner which shall receive the respect of men and 
the commendation of God. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 75 

Resuming, Chace, of Company D, says: "We 'turned in' at 
nine o'clock, but did not get to sleep until ten, listening to the 
good singing in another tent. We have some fine voices, George 
Briggs, Levi Burdon, Albert Ham, Ned Glezen, and W. C. Bene- 
dict of the Ninth." "The Sword of Bunker Hill," and "See- 
ing Nellie Home," as rendered by Burdon, became very popular 
with the regiment, and he is still called out, at our reunions to 
sing them as he used to sing them in camp. "Last Sunday even- 
ing, we all enjoyed very much. Several of us sat in the tent-door 
enjoying the scene. The air was still, the moon bright, the sky 
bine, the great trees threw a soft shade, a choir, near us, furnished 
sweet music, while we discoursed of home and heavenly themes." 

"I was reading the other day," says a well-known writer, "that 
on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, the wives of the fishermen, 
whose husbands have gone far off upon the deep, are in the habit 
at even-tide of going down to the seashore, and singing, as 
female voices only can, the first stanza of a beautiful hymn ; after 
they have sung it, they listen, till they hear, borne by the wind 
across the desert sea, the second stanza, sung by their gallant 
husbands as they are tossed by the gale upon the waves, and 
both are happy. 

" Perhaps if we would listen, we too might hear in this desert 
world of ours, some sound, some whisper borne from afar, to 
remind us that there is a heaven and a home, and when we sing 
the hymn upon the shores of earth, perhaps we shall hear its 
sweet echo breaking in music upon the sands of time, and cheer- 
ing the hearts of them that are pilgrims and strangers, and look 
for a city that hath foundations." 



1 7 6 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




"June 15th. Our mess in Company B 
has engaged a prepossessing young con- 
traband who boasts the name of Abraham 
Douglass, to do the singing and wash the 
dishes, for the modest salary of two dollars 
and a half per month. We enjoy having 
him sing and wash the dishes very much 
indeed. Last evening he sang for us : 

• De gospel ship's a sailin' — sailin' — sailin' — 
De gospel ship's a sailin' — bound for Canin's 
happv sho' ! 

Little Abe. Chorus: ' Den, glory, glory, hallelujah! 

"Another of his best ones is : 

' Dere's a light in der winder fur thee, brother, 
Deie' a light in der winder fur thee ! ' 

" Each member of the regiment was presented with a small, 
red-covered hymn book, containing the old familiar hymns, which 
were sung at religious services. In opening my book the other 
day I found on the inside cover the following beautiful lines 
written by a private in Stuart's engineer regiment, which made 
a deep impression on my mind : 

■ •• I [all ! who goes there ? " my challenge crv, it rings along the watchful line; 
•■ Relief! " I hear a voice reply — -Advance, and give the countersign! " 
With bayonet at the charge, I wait — The corporal gives the mystic spell — 
With arms aport. I charge my mate : Then onward pass, and " all is well ! " 

Bui in my tent that night awake. I ask. if in the fray I fall, 

Can I the mystic answer make, when th' angelic sentries call ? 

.And pray that Heaven may so ordain, where'er I go, what fate be mine. 

Whether in trouble, or in pain. I still may have " the countersign! " ' ' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 77 

One of the members of another company wrote home : "The 
men have found a remedy for poor rations, in songs which carry 
the mind back to the scenes of other days. Here, a group, as 
the evening twilight gathers, sing the familiar hymns remem- 
bered from childhood. Surrounded by the instruments of death, 
and within reach of the battery's guns, you may hear rising 
on the air of evening, ' Oh, where can rest be found,' ' Pleyel's 
hymn,' and 'Jesus, lover of my soul.' Here a band of students 
revive the memories of ' Brown,' with ' Lauriger Horatius,' ' Here's 
to good old Prex., drink him down,' while far at the other end of 
the camp, from the tents of the Ninth Regiment, come to our 
ears the strains of ' Let me kiss him for his mother.' ' " Camp- 
life has its pleasures, too. If you could hear the manly chorus 
swelling up from the group of singers before yonder tent, in the 
broad moonlight, the mingled yet not discordant notes of violin, 
guitar and banjo, from different parts of the encampment, with 
here and there a hushed and reverent group, listening in the 
privacy of their own tent to one who reads the Word of God, you 
would not think that our life is but a weariness." 

"A few from each company are allowed a pass to Washington 
now and then. The other clay a party from Company B were 
sauntering down Pennsylvania avenue, when a door opened on the 
opposite side of the street, and there stood General Burnside ! 
They all ran across and claimed the privilege of shaking hands 
with him on the score of being Rhode Island soldiers. He shook 
hands cordially with them, and asked where they were stationed, 
and they left him feeling repaid by this incident alone for the 
journey to Washington." 

23 



178 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



"Thursday, June 12th. Our camp was enlivened yesterday by 
the presence of Maj. Lewis Richmond and wife, and Mrs. General 
Burnside. Would that the general could run out to see us." 
A few days after General Burnside made us a flying visit, and 
was received with warm demonstrations of honor and affection. 




General Burnside at Camp Frieze. 

A few months later, on September 17th, the battle of Antietam 
was fought, but sixty miles away from our camp, in which Burn- 
side bore a gallant part. Young Adjt. William Ide Brown, after- 
wards mortally wounded before Richmond, thus wrote home of 
Burnside : " O, how I love that general ! I would think myself 
happy if I could be an orderly and follow him from place to place. 
How I wish I knew him personally ! How proud I was to have 
him speak to me on the night of the battle of Antietam, where I 
was on duty at the famous Antietam bridge ! There may be 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. I 79 

greater generals than Burnside, but nowhere a more honest, 
noble, patriotic hero ! " Young Brown was the beloved class 
president of the class of 1862, in Brown University. He fell only 
a few weeks before the final surrender at Appomattox. 

"Senator Simmons and Dr. Okie were also in camp recently, 
which reminds me of William Okie's experience on guard duty. 
After a guard has been on two hours he is relieved. When the 
guard hears the relief approach he calls out, ' Halt ! who comes 
there?' Answer, 'Corporal, with relief.' 'Advance, corporal, 
and give the countersign.' Young Okie was on guard one night, 
and, after the answer from the corporal, instead of saying, 'Ad- 
vance, etc.,' he said, ' You can't come too soon ! ' Generally after 
the two hours' duty the men are glad to get back to their tents. 

" Ned Brown and Fred Armington received boxes from home 
last evening. Each of us had a cake from Brown's box, and 
Armington will have his 'spread' this morning. Later: I told 
you so. Armington has just passed the doughnuts, and it's jolly 
to be remembered by the friends at home. As I write, Price lies 
stretched out before me, and distracts me by asking me to draw 
his army shoes, but I tell him his 'whangs' are too large to be 
transferred to this sheet ' life-size ! ' 

" The contrabands brought some nice, soft fresh strawberries 
into camp this morning, at twelve cents per quart. We sent out 
for six quarts, and they made a good relish, I assure you. Cost : 
berries, six quarts, seventy-two cents ; milk, thirty cents ; sugar, 
ten cents ; total, one dollar and twelve cents, divided by sixteen 
of us, leaves just seven cents for each man to pay. Cheap enough 
isn't it ? Have some? " 



i So 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




The^Ten nallytown Gun 



Unexpected Capture by the Tenth 
KIiocIl: Island Volunteers. 



Camp Frieze, Tennallytown. 



"June 1 8th. Yesterday afternoon," wrote the author, "Com- 
pany B was thrown into quite a flutter of excitement, by the 
announcement that it had been detailed for a secret expedition, 
and was under marching orders. We formed in line, as per 
regimental orders, with equipments and muskets, and left camp 
at two o'clock, p. m., accompanied by the officers of both regi- 
ments, with directions to observe the strictest silence on the 
march. What was going to happen ? Had old Stonewall Jackson 
again ventured within our lines, and were we to have the glory of 
surprising and capturing him ? Unhappily it proved not, though 
Stonewall did make a visit to Maryland a few months later, and 
his progress, and that of the entire rebel army, was arrested only 
at the terrific pass of Antietam, but sixty miles from camp. 
After Company B had been marched perhaps two miles, it was 
halted, and faced, as the boys say, 'eyes right and left,' before a 
peaceful and unpretending wooden mansion, and awaited an 
answer to the summons of Colonel Bliss at the front door. It 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 8 I 

seems that intelligence had reached the colonel, through our own 
men out foraging, that a rebel cannon was concealed in the barn 
of a well-known southern sympathizer, and it was considered not 
improbable that he might turn it some dark night on our sleep- 
ing regiments at Camp Frieze. It looked like a very serious 
piece of business, the boys thought, after hearing the news, and 
visions of a thirty-two, if not a forty-two-pounder rose before us. 
The summons for its surrender, however, was met by an indignant 
refusal from the fair matron who answered the colonel's call, and 
from the proprietor himself, who now appeared from a neighboring 
field. He was making off, but was induced to return after a 
short chase by Adjutant Tobey. Soon a daughter appeared on 
the scene, fresh from school, and a true 'gray,' and no mistake. 
She loudly declared that they would never give it up. No, never ! 
The choice being now given them to surrender the gun, or take 
up a family march back to camp, to the tune of 'we won't go 
home till morning,' they concluded to produce it. And lo, what 
a disappointment ! Instead of a mighty forty-two pounder, or 
Stonewall Jackson, we beheld a small field howitzer, about two 
feet long, such as is used in the field by infantry. It was rifled, 
and carried a ball, weighing a pound, about a mile. But such 
as it was, it was mounted on its carriage and trailed back to camp 
by Company B, who thus earned the honor of capturing the only 
rebel cannon taken by the Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Vol- 
unteers. It was receipted for by Captain Dyer, and in due time 
safely arrived in Providence. After many years, through the 
courtesy of his son, Adjt.-Gen. Elisha Dyer, it has been placed in 
the museum of the Rhode Island Historical Society." 



182 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Contiaband Goods. 



Resuming the narrative from Company D, 
we read that : "A little dancing contra- 
band, one of the innocent causes of the war, 
is now in front of the 'Athenaeum ' tent, 
blacking Elisha Howry's boots. At seven 
this evening, we form in line for inspection, 
with equipments, which must be in shining 
order. Every boot, button, belt, bayonet, 
and musket, must be polished as bright as 
rubbing can make them. At inspection every 
man appears in line, with his musket and equipments, full knap- 
sack, canteen, haversack, cartridge-box, etc., all of which are 
duly inspected. The blankets being strapped upon the knapsacks, 
the tents are supposed to be empty, and, of course, their condi- 
tion, as to cleanliness can be ascertained at a glance." 

"One of our first efforts," wrote Captain Dyer, "as quickly as 
opportunity and 'leave of absence' from camp would allow, was a 
general reconnoissance of our surroundings, to provide against the 
liability of being surprised, outflanked, or attacked in the many 
vulnerable points to which our camp was exposed, by some raiding 
Jackson or Early. This duty was most faithfully performed." 

Resuming, H. T. Chace, of Company D, wrote : " On coming 
into camp this morning, I noticed some very pretty evergreen 
boughs, or arbors, in one company"s quarters, with arched doors 
and windows, all displaying excellent taste. The Westerly com- 
pany have things about right. The boys have dug a well which 
yields the best water in camp. They have their tables hand- 
somely protected by evergreen boughs." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



I8 3 




1 SV^AO. 



"The orderly has just 
appeared at the tent- 
door, saying, 'Two men 
of this mess are wanted 
to bring water for the 
cook.' Sergeant Brown 
and the writer responded 
to the call, and brought 
several buckets of water 
from the spring. We 
then helped peel the po- 
tatoes, and split some wood for the fire. Herman and Burdon 
are also assisting Mr. Burroughs in the cooking department. I am 
on police duty again to-day, with George Briggs, to wash the 
dishes. Returning I saw Robert Paine in the cook's tent, picking 
over beans. Think of it ! and we all have to take our turn ! 
My box arrived this p. m., and has been opened to my satisfaction 
and that of the mess. We propose dividing the cakes on Sunday 
evening. We shall have Fred Hedge, Ned Brown, John Cady, 
William A. Harris, and Fred Armington, participate in demolish- 
ing it. They are all regular boarders at the 'Athenaeum.' They 
say 'you can't have too much cake for supper,' and if the cake 
gives out, we shall all relish the gingerbread. 

"June 14th. To-day a small party has gone to the Potomac to 
bathe, three miles away. 

"June 15th. Was up before sunrise this morning, and bathed 
at the spring and went over and admired the battery's new twelve- 
pounders before reveille." 



1 84 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Reveille, 4.30 A. M. 



" Reveille sounds at half past 
four. We tumble out for early 
roll-call, just as we please, as re- 
gards our costumes. In the ex- 
citement many of the men come 
half dressed, dragging their raus- 
g kets after them, completing their 
hasty toilet after getting into line. 
The helter-skelter that follows the 
hasty endeavor to get into the 
ranks is extremely comical to be- 
hold. It gives no time for the adjustment of collars, or tying of 
neckties or 'whangs.' This morning all our men but one had 
overcoats on. That one was late, and not having time to dress 
at all, before his name would be called, he hastily wrapped the 
drapery of his couch, that is an army blanket, about him, and 
took his position in line, to our great amusement. Later this 
morning, we marched over to the quartermaster's tent, and ac- 
tually received our blue army pants. Such a motley assembly ! 
Some with no pants (only drawers), some with only three-quarter 
pants, multitudes with dilapidated pants, full of patches and holes, 
and the balance with blankets to cover them, for respectability's 
sake. Each man received the pair first handed him, with the 
instruction to 'try them on,' and if 'no fit,' to change round with 
some other member of the regiment. If any one could not, after all, 
succeed in finding a pair which would answer the purpose, he could 
return them to the quartermaster for exchange. We had a good 
deal of fun during the operation of 'trying on' and getting fitted. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. [85 

Thus our 'infant,' a tall six-footer, received a short pair, while 
Halsey DeWolf, had a pair which came up to his neck. Fred 
Armington is now hard at work shortening the legs of his trousers, 
so as not to show the white linings. 

" 2 p. m. We had a good dinner of beef-soup and potatoes, 
with strawberries for dessert. Potatoes, thanks to our foragers, 
are quite plenty now. Seeing Fred Hedge (the Athenaeum libra- 
rian) staining his hands picking over strawberries, reminds me 
of a laugh we had at William A. Harris while on the march from 
Washington. He had a new red silk handkerchief in his cap, and 
the perspiration soon began to make the color run, so that as 
he wiped his face with it the color was transferred, which gave 
him a peculiarly heated and exhausted appearance. When we 
first noticed it we thought that the march was giving him 'jessy ! ' 
We soon discovered, however, that he was only being artificially 
colored, ' a la Indian ! ' 

"Tuesday, June 17th. Yesterday, we had plenty of drill, and 
only six roll-calls. I wish you could hear us, ' break ranks, march ! '' 
We just do it altogether, with a will! This morning we had 
battalion drill, as usual, carrying our muskets and equipments. 
Our dress, over the uniform, consists of a belt which fastens round 
the body, and which holds a cartridge-box and bayonet, with a 
cross-belt. Our muskets after an hour's drill in the hot sun seem 
a good deal heavier than they did as we proudly handled them 
at first." "To relieve this difficulty," says the author, "a belt- 
hook was devised, which attached to the body-belt in such a way 
that when the musket was at the position of ' carry,' its weight 
could be easily transferred from the arm to the belt-hook. 

24 



i 86 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Belt and Belt-Hook. 



It immediately became very popular, and 
worked to perfection, until one unlucky day 
as we stood in line with our muskets quietly 
resting on our belt-hooks, the order was 
suddenly given to 'order, arms!' Down 
went every other fellow's gun promptly ! 
But mine wouldn't let go of that plaguy 
belt-hook, and was left suspended high in 
air! The captain reprimanded me sharply, 
the boys in the ranks smiled audibly, and 
all belt-hooks were ordered off promptly. 
They might afterwards be seen adorning the 
belts of officers, supporting their long swords, but they no longer 
supported the firelocks of privates. I was so mortified that I 
began to feel sorry that I'd come out with the rest of the boys to 
help save the capital. I felt almost as bad as I did once in a 
spelling-class at school. I suppose I wasn't paying then the best 
of attention, when suddenly the teacher called upon me to spell 
the word. I hadn't any more idea what the word was than if it 
had been 'belt-hook,' but supposing that the next boy kindly in- 
truded to prompt me by whispering, ' lignum- vitae,' I boldly 
pronounced, and spelled it, until interrupted by shouts of laughter 
from the school, in which the teacher himself joined. I looked at 
the other boy, and realized that he'd given me away, for his sides 
were shaking. He is an old boy now, and I forgive him, as I 
hope to be forgiven, for perpetrating some of the same sort of 
practical jokes. Certainly, I can never forget my experiences 
with 'belt-hooks' and ' lignum-vitae.' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



[87 




" The ' grand rounds ? ' 
Yes, well do I remember 
my first experience. I 
was guard at the west 
of the camp, at the foot 
of the hill, when the 
'grand rounds' came 
along. Captain Smith 
was officer of the day, 
and, of course, led the 
guard. It had been raining hard, and the water was rushing 
down the hill, so that my tramp was through mud and water. 
About midnight I heard stumbling footsteps : ' Halt ! who goes 
there?' 'Grand rounds!' 'Advance, sergeant of the grand 
rounds and give the countersign ! ' The sergeant spattered the 
mud, gave the countersign, and inquired the way to the next 
rounds, for it was so dark that you could hardly see him. The 
captain stopped, and said ' Chace, how do you stand it ? ' I said 
' first rate,' and he went on his way rejoicing. He has been on duty 
every day, although often very tired, and troubled with a cold. 

" By the way, we have a man here named Adam. A few min- 
utes ago some one went by our tent calling out, 'John, where's 
Adam ? ' and John Cacly immediately called out, ' Where's Adam ? 
Gone after Eve!' You would think we needed an Eve if you 
could see the sleeves of my blouse. I cut them off, and then 
stitched, basted and sewed the edges ; it would puzzle a seam- 
stress to tell which. At this moment we are emptying Corporal 
Foster's box of ginger cookies. 



1 88 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

A few clays later, Mr. Chace wrote : " Have just returned from 
'dress parade.' All the companies march to the parade-ground, 
form in two ranks, and face to the front, sergeants in the rear. 
The order is then given, 'order, arms; parade, rest.' At this 
rest the right foot is thrown to the rear of the left, the hands 
crossed in front of the body, left uppermost, thumbs crossed, eyes 
to the front, every man to remain as still as a statue, even if a fly 
or a spider walks over his face. The drum-band, five fifes lead- 
ing, followed by eight snare-drums, then marches in front of the 
regiment, from right to left, playing in common time, then 
halts, about face, and marches back quick time. 'First sergeants 
to the front and centre.' At this command the first sergeants 
pass to the front of their respective companies, face inward, 
and marching to the centre of the regiment, take the position, 
* front-face.' The sergeant on the right, his piece being at a light 
infantry 'shoulder,' then salutes, by carrying his left arm across 
the breast, and reports to the adjutant, 'Company D present, or 
accounted for.' Each sergeant follows, reporting his company in 
the same manner. The adjutant who is standing opposite the 
centre of the regiment, facing it, and in front of the colonel, 
then orders, ' outward face, to your posts, march.' The sergeants 
return to their posts. The order, 'parade is dismissed,' then fol- 
lows. At this the commissioned officers advance to the front, 
face, march to the centre and report, the band meanwhile, playing. 
Having reported, the officers return by the shortest route to their 
companies and take them out of line. Each company is then 
drilled by its commandant, presenting a lively spectacle. At the 
same time another company was going through the movement of 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



189 




Cooking Custard. 



' charge bayonets ' about a quar- 
ter of a mile distant. The yells 
of the men were exciting to 
hear. After drilling some time 
we were again formed in line, 
and drilled by Lieutenant-Col- 
onel Shaw for about twenty 
minutes very lively. 

" Ned Brown has been cook- 
ing a nice custard in his mess- 
pan. A pint of milk, two eggs, 
a little nutmeg, and watching 
the fire for ten minutes, made 
a cheap and luxurious dish for a soldier. I am now sitting on a 
box in front of our tent, and can see down Benefit street beyond 
the cook's tent. It is amusing to see some of the boys steering 
for their tents, with bread in one hand and meat in the other, re- 
membering at the same time, how they lived at home. 

" Yesterday, the Zouaves, Captain Duckworth, received a big 
pile of good things, not the least acceptable of which, was a foot- 
ball. Sergeants Brown and Cady went on pass to Washington 
yesterday. They returned in time for ' retreat ' which beats at 
seven p. m. They brought along a two-gallon coffee pot, and 
' K. D.' had a blacking box and brush. Ned also brought coffee 
and sugar, and we had some coffee in the evening that beat any 
that we have had since leaving home. We have not as yet been 
served with either mess-pans, knives or forks. What we have in 
that line has been 'foraged.' My silver spoon, for which I paid 



I90 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

four cents, the other day in Washington, disappeared yesterday. 
I have made two trips from camp, recently, one to the Potomac, 
the 19th, and one to Washington, the 20th. In the former 
tramp, after crossing Chain Bridge, we proceeded along a steep, 
rocky road, about half a mile, when we came to Fort Marcy, gar- 
risoned by two companies of a New York artillery regiment. The 
fort mounts thirteen guns (twenty-four-pound Parrott, six-pound 
field pieces, and twelve-pound brass howitzers). The fort over- 
looks the Potomac. From Fort Marcy we could see encamp- 
ments in the distance, and further on in Virginia, Fort Ethan 
Allen, mounting twenty-five guns. Returning to camp, we reported 
in good season, tired out. The next day being my chance to go 
to Washington, I snapped up the offer, and, borrowing a fresh 
collar, and brushing my hair and boots, was soon ready. 

" Brock Mathewson, 2d, was the corporal, and William A. 
Harris was the other private. We started about 8. 1 5 and walked to 
Georgetown. On reaching Georgetown heights a beautiful pano- 
rama opened before ns. Arlington heights, the old residence of 
General Lee, Fort Corcoran, the Potomac, Long Bridge, the 
Capitol and Washington Monument. We took the stage for 
Washington, and pulled the strap in front of the White House." 
Then follows an interesting description of the places visited : 
the White House, Willard's Hotel, Patent Office and the Capitol. 
"The bakery in the basement bakes 35,000 loaves daily for the 
soldiers. Returning to camp via Georgetown, a carriage passed, and 
we exchanged salutes with Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. 
Following was a gentleman on horseback, who immediately lifted 
his hat to ns, and we recognized President Lincoln." He was 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



I 9 I 




The Girls We Left Behind Us. 



greatly beloved by the soldiers, 
and more than once interfered 
with the military powers to par- 
don some youthful deserter, or 
sentry who had fallen asleep at 
his post. 

" My business in Washington," 
saws a well known official, " was to 
secure a pardon for a young sol- 
dier who had deserted under rather 
peculiar circumstances. When he 
enlisted he was under engagement 
to a young girl, and went to the 
front very certain of her faithful- 
ness, as a young man should be, and he made a most excellent 
soldier, and felt that 'she' would be proud of him. It is needless 
to say that the young girl being exceptionally attractive, and the 
war unexpectedly protracted, had another lover, whom she had 
discarded for the young volunteer, for which the stay-at-home 
hated the accepted soldier with the utmost cordiality. Taking- 
advantage of his long absence he began to renew his suit with 
such vehemence, that a rumor reached the young man at the 
front that his love had gone over to the enemy. He immediately 
applied for a furlough, which was refused, and, half mad and reck- 
less of consequences, he deserted his post and started for home. 
He found the information he had received partially true, but he 
had arrived in time. He married the girl, but was immediately 
arrested as a deserter, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be 



I92 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

shot. After patiently listening to the recital, and inquiring as to 
his previous good character, the President at once signed the 
pardon, saying : ' I want to punish the young man ; probably in 
less than a year he will wish I had withheld the pardon. We 
can't tell though, I suppose when I was a young man I should 
have done the same fool thing myself ! ' " 

If ever a man was fairly tested, Lincoln was. General Long- 
street, of the South, calls him "the greatest man of rebellious 
times ; the one matchless among forty millions for the peculiar 
difficulties of the period." There was no lack of resistance, nor of 
ridicule both at home and abroad, and one of the most touching 
tributes at his death was the manly recantation of the London 
Punch, which for four long years had pursued him with its 
slanders : 

" Beside this corpse that bears for winding sheet 
The Stars and Stripes he lived to rear anew, 
Between the mourners at the head and feet, 
Say, scurrile jester, is there room for you? 

Yes, he had lived to shame me from my sneer. 

To lame my pencil, and confute my pen, 
To make me own this kind of princes peer, 

This rail-splitter, a true-born king of men! " 

Resuming, H. T. Chace wrote : "June 21st. Arriving in camp 
on our return from Washington, we found rumors current that we 
are under marching orders. If we move it will be to Virginia. 
There is another report that we are to be sent to the front. 
While drilling, to-day, I saw a string of army mules and wagons 
for the Fourteenth Infantry, passing down the road." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



19, 




Chaplain A. H. Clapp. 



Captain Greene wrote : " Paymaster 
Jabez C. Knight made us a very ac- 
ceptable visit during the week just 
past, and paid over the long talked of 
bounty money." 

H. T. Chace, wrote the same day : 
"A battalion of regulars is now passing 
by. I have no idea General McClellan 
will be defeated on the Peninsula, and 
rather hope that we may have a chance 
to assist in crushing the rebellion. 

"The chaplain has just looked in and given us a pleasant word. 
We like him." "We are greatly attached to our chaplain," wrote 
Capt. A. Crawford Greene. "He is in every way fitted for the 
duties of his office. He is daily among the sick, and among the 
soldiers generally, speaking an encouraging word to all. He holds 
services every night, and on the Sabbath services at eleven a. m. 
and seven p. m." In his report to the governor of Rhode Island, 
Colonel Shaw said : "The regiment was particularly fortunate in 
its chaplain, Rev. A. Huntington Clapp, the honored pastor of the 
Beneficent Congregational Church in Providence. He was sin- 
gularly qualified for the duties of his office, and devoted himself 
with unremitting fidelity to the temporal and spiritual welfare of 
the men." Indeed, Sir Walter Scott's description of Father 
Clement might well be applied to our beloved chaplain, " You will 
think of him as the best and kindest man in the world, with a 
comfort for every man's grief, a counsel for every man's difficulty, 
the rich man's surest guide, and the poor man's best friend." 



i 9 4 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Capt. A. Crawford Greene, wrote 
June 21st : "Maj. Jacob Babbitt has ar- 
rived, and commenced his duties. Our 
pickets brought in a man this morning 
who seems wonderfully frightened. He 
gives no satisfactory excuse for being in 
the road. He cocked his rifle when about 
to be taken, but one of our pickets ar- 
rested him in time to prevent the dis- 

Maior Babbitt. i 117-1 • T «.■ ^ 

charge. We have every indication judg- 
ing from preparatory orders that we are to leave Camp Frieze, 
and pitch our tents, the God of battles only knows where. We 
hear it rumored that we are to go to Cloud's Mills, Va., near 
Alexandria. It is also reported that we of the Tenth are soon to 
receive rifled muskets similar to those of the Ninth. We have 
just received orders to cook two days' rations, which is another 
evidence that we are to march. The Tenth Battery has already 
started for Cloud's Mills, via Washington. Our hospital exhibits 
this morning about the same number (say seventy-eight) of in- 
mates who are comfortably sick. None are thought to be in a 
dangerous state. Our advantages for company and battalion 
drill have been extremely limited at Camp Frieze, and our hope 
is that we may find our new camp better adapted for general 
instruction. There seems to be an unusual movement of troops 
about here, and the supposition is that an important engagement is 
about to take place. We notice that most of the regiments about 
us are packed up, with knapsacks on, ready to march at a moment's 
notice. Our men appear ready for whatever awaits them." 



KHODK ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



^95 




Scene in Hospit* 



Scene in Hos- 
pital. 

Regimental 
surgeon to pa- t_ 
tient : 

"You've got a 
bad cold, and a \ 
fever, sir. Have 
you been in a 
draught ? " 

Patient : 

" Drafted, no, 
sir! They didn't 
draft me. I was 

darned fool enough to enlist of my own free will ! I thought the 
war was about over, and if I didn't hurry up I should get left ! " 

"A few days ago," wrote Chace, " a soldier went to the surgeon's 
tent with a sore hand. Seeing that the trouble arose chiefly from 
a neglect of cleanliness, Dr. Wilcox wrote a prescription, and sent 
the man with it to the tent where they are prepared. The direc- 
tions were: 'Four drops in a basin of water, and wash the 
hands in the mixture, the operation to be repeated four times a 
day.' The joke was that the vial from which he took the drops 
contained nothing but pure water. It is needless to add the sores 
disappeared. Another man went to the doctor, who he saw was 
simply and purely homesick. He received for his complaint a 
dose of sugar of milk, and when it leaked out, he also recovered. 
The general health of the regiment is very good." 



196 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Prig.-Gen. Wadsworth. 



" Saturday, June 21st. General orders 
number 19 were read to the regiment. 

"June 25th. We expect to be roused 
at two o'clock to-morrow morning for a 
march. Our camp is a scene of bustling, 
stirring activity to-night. The reflec- 
tion on the trees of the grove from a 
fire in a neighboring street is beautiful. 
Tattoo beats earlier than usual, and 
reveille at two o'clock a. m." 



War Department, Washington City, D. C, 
June 24, 1S62. 
Ordered', That all applications for passes and permits for persons or prop- 
erty within the lines of the United States forces shall hereafter be made to 
Brigadier-General Wadsworth, Military Governor of the District of Columbia, 
and be subject to such terms and conditions as he may prescribe. 

Signed, EDWIN M. STANTON. 

Secretary of State. 



General Orders No. /■ 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 

Washington, June 24, 1S62. 



1. Pursuant to instructions from the War Department, the undersigned 
hereby assumes the command of all the forces in and about the City of Wash- 
ington, except such as may be required by Brigadier-General Wadsworth, for 
purposes set forth in the instructions referred to. 

2. Such of these troops as are north of the Potomac will hold themselves in 
readiness to move at a moment's warning. 

Signed, L. D. STURGIS, 

Brig.-Gen. U. S. Vols. 

Notk. Brig. -Gen. James S. Wadsworth, a most worthy and intrepid officer, was mortally 
wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy, in the battle of the Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1S04. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 1 97 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I Vols., 

Camp Frieze, June 20, 1862. 
General Orders \<>- ig- 

For the better enforcement of that discipline so essential to the health, com- 
fort, and soldierly bearing of the members of this regiment, the following orders 
and extracts from the Army Regulations are hereby promulgated : 

I. Captains will cause the men of their companies to be numbered in a regu- 
lar series, including the non-commissioned officers, and divided into squads, 
each to be put under the charge of a non-commissioned officer. 

II. The utmost attention will be paid by commanders of companies, to the 
cleanliness of the men, as to their person, clothing, arms, accoutrements and 
equipments, also their quarters or tents. Every man will be required to bathe 
the whole body at least twice a week. The hair to be kept short, and beard 
neatly trimmed. 

III. The knapsack of each man will be placed at the bead of his bed, around 
the outer circle of the tent, packed and ready to be slung. The overcoat neatly 
folded inside out, and placed on the knapsack. IJoots well cleaned. 

IV. Dirty clothes will be kept in an appropriate part of the knapsack. No 
article of any kind will be put under the bedding. 

V. Cooking and mess utensils will be cleansed immediately after using, and 
neatly arranged in their proper places. 

VI. Non-commissioned officers in command of squads, will be held more 
immediately responsible that their men observe what is prescribed above. That 
they wash their hands and faces daily : that they brush or comb their heads : that 
those who are to go 011 duty put their arms, accoutrements, dress, etc., in the 
best order, and that such as have permission to pass the chain of sentinels, are 
in the dress that may be ordered. 

VII. When belts are given to a soldier, the captain will see that they are 
properly fitted to the body, and it is forbidden to cut any without his sanction. 

VIII. Cartridge boxes and bavonet scabbards will be polished with blacking. 

IX. Arms shall not be kept loaded in the tents, or when men are off duty, 
except by special orders. 

X. Company officers must visit the kitchen daily, and inspect the kettles. 
and at all times carefully attend to the messing and economy of their respective 



I98 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

commands. Soup must be boiled at least five hours, and vegetables always 
cooked sufficiently to be perfectly soft and digestible. These duties are of the 
utmost importance and must not be neglected. 

XI. Courtesy among military men is indispensable to discipline. Respect 
to superiors will not be confined to obedience on duty, but will be extended to 
all occasions. It is always the duty of the inferior to accost or offer first the 
customary salutation, and of the superior to return such complimentary notice. 

XII. When a soldier without arms, or side arms only, meets an officer, he is 
to raise his hand to the right side of the visor of the cap, palm to the front, 
elbow raised as high as the shoulder, looking at the same time in a respectful 
and soldier-like manner to the officer, who will return the compliment thus 
offered. 

XIII. A non-commissioned officer or soldier being seated, and without par- 
ticular occupation, will rise on the approach of an officer, and make the custom- 
arv salutation. If standing, he will turn towards the officer for the same pur- 
pose. If the parties remain in the same place or on the same ground, such 
compliments need not be repeated. 

XIV. All non-commissioned officers and privates visiting officers' quarters 
will stand at "Attention," and remain uncovered. 

By order of 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 
foHiN I . Tobey, Colonel Commanding. 



. i< 



ljutant. 



Headquarters Sturgis's Brigade, 
General Orders No. 18. Washington, June 20, 1S62. 

I. All commands in this brigade, excepting the Fifty-ninth Regiment New 
York Volunteers, will be held in immediate readiness for marching orders. 

II. The commanding officer of each command will notify the brigade quar- 
termaster, Lieut. Nelson Plato, of the number of Avagons requisite for the 

moving of his command. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

Henry R. Mighels, 

dipt, and A. A. G. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



199 



PARTING SKETCH OF CAMP FRIEZE, 
liy Henry T. CHACE, Company D, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 



Service Ground, Tenth Regiment. 



iptair. 

Com i« an y K, 

Captain Low. 

Company G, 
Captain Greene. 

Company I, 

Captain Hale. 

Company H, 
Capt. Duckworth 

Company E, 
Captain Cady. 

Company A, 
Captain Taber. 

Company C, 
Captain Vose. 

Company F, 
Captain Harris. 



IM 



ssssi A A A A A L 

AAz 

AAAAA 

AAAAA 

AAAAA 

AAAA 

AAAA 

AAAA 

AAAA 

AAAAA 



Company D, 

Capt. Smith. / ,\ 



: 






_ > 



E 

B> E> 






NINTH REGIMENT. 



200 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




"We are about to start for Cloud's Mills, 
near Alexandria," wrote one of the men. 
"Already our noble battery has thundered 
off, and we shall soon follow them, leaving 
our familiar avenues, our evergreen bowers 
and shady resorts for chatting and smoking, 
to the spiders and wood-ticks, the tree toads 
and fire-flies, whose domain we have invaded. 
We may find in some respects a better, 
but surely not a more picturesque camping 
ground." 



General Orders No. 21. 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 
Camp Frieze, June 25, 1862. 



I. The regiment will move from its present camp to-morrow morning. 

II. Knapsacks must be packed and marked, and canteens and haversacks 
filled, and all provisions and articles on hand in the cook-tent and not imme- 
diately required, packed in the wagons by evening. 

III. Reveille will sound at two o'clock a. m., to-morrow. Company cooks 
will prepare breakfast and hot coffee, and serve them out at that time. 

IV. The regiment must then be ready to strike tents and march. 



By order of 



John F. Tobey, 

. \djutant. 



ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Colonel Commanding. 



Packing knapsacks meant compressing all our housekeeping 
into a space so that it could be carried on our backs. Now we 
had so many things on hand — good to eat and to wear — that it 
became very hard to decide which to take and which to leave. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



!OI 




Knapsack. 



"June 26th. As per orders/' wrote 
the author, " we broke up our old 
camp shortly after midnight this 
morning. At two o'clock came the 
rattling ' rap-a-tap-tap ' of the reveille. 
It was a grand sight, as the beautiful 
grove with its stately oaks and tented 
avenues was suddenly illuminated 
with blazing bonfires, as if by magic. 
The long rows of glistening" bayonets 
shone up and down the camp, the 
sparks filled the air and shot upward to the sky ; which with 
the falling tents, the men hurrying to and fro, with shouts and 
laughter, and the army wagons rumbling off, full of stores and 
baggage, produced a scene of rare enchantment. After roll-call 
we were ordered to pack knapsacks and be ready to march at 
daylight. It is astonishing how heavy a knapsack gets on the 
march, even if there isn't much in it. The knapsack opens like a 
carpet bag, with a great pocket in one side, and a loose flap with 
straps on the other. It is strapped to the back by a novel 
arrangement of straps and buckles. Some stuffed everything into 
their knapsacks regardless of the weight. One of them contained 
the following articles: 'Two pairs of drawers, a pair of thick 
boots, four pairs of stockings, four flannel shirts, a blue blouse, a 
looking-glass, a brush and comb, a razor, razor strop and brush, 
a box of blacking and a blacking brush, a can of preserves, a bottle 
of pain-killer, and cough mixture, a small bag of sugar, a piece of 
chalk, several towels, a Bible, besides postage stamps and writing 

2G 



202 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




materials. On top of the knapsack was 
stuffed a double woolen blanket and a rubber 
one.' Fortunately, there was extra wagon- 
room, and the men were allowed to pile in 
their knapsacks, instead of strapping them 
on their backs." 

" We left Camp Frieze," wrote H. T. Chace, 
"at six o'clock in the morning, with three 
rousing cheers and a Narragansett ! The 
regiment stepped off at a lively gait in the 
fresh morning air. We carry muskets, haver- 
sacks for rations (mine was supplied with 
lemons) ; canteens (mine was filled with tea), and cartridge boxes, 
with ten and twenty rounds of ammunition. Our rations were 
served last evening and consist of beef and hard-tack." 

Says Lieutenant Phillips : " Our route of march lay through 
Washington, where General Scott's fine residence was pointed out. 
As we approached Willard's Hotel Colonel Bliss requested us to 
strike up 'John Brown ; ' a thousand voices responded, the ladies 
thronged the balconies, and, recognizing the colonel, they waved 
their best wishes, as we went marching on." Between nine and 
ten the regiment passed over Long Bridge, making the old 
wooden structure shake with its measured tread. Tramp, tramp, 
tramp, how many thousands crossed this 'bridge of sighs' never 
to return ! The day was oppressively hot, as we tramped on, past 
rifle-pits, fortifications and earthworks. We hadn't been in ' ole 
Virginia' an hour before we realized that there wasn't so much 
fun in it after all. We marched, and marched, and marched till 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. 

we reached Alexandria. Af- 



20' 



s 



ter a further tramp of several ^||gjg^ f& '^JM/i 
miles, we finally halted about S^VVv^'V 1 "' SSw^ zSwSv 1 
two o'clock p. m., on a vast, //7 / •' 



JJi :* 







elevated plain, under the guns ^-?>_- |i ,.-' 
of Fort Ward, near Fairfax 
Seminary. A man who lives 
here told me that we inarched 
twelve miles this side of Long 
Bridge,or twenty miles in all." 
Captain Hale, Company I. 
wrote, "That the length of 
the march had been variously 
estimated, according to the cooi.ng off. 

length of limb and strength of muscle of those who participated, 
ranging from eighteen miles (about the actual distance), to thirty 
or forty ; while Corporal Stump declares that he must have 
traveled at least a hundred and fifty miles ! Somebody asked 
him on the road what regiment it was, and he promptly responded, 
'the One Hundred and Tenth Rhode Island ! ' An old soldier 
wrote home after such a tramp, " I'm all right except the dog- 
gorned blisters on my feet, and I hope these few lines will find you 
enjoying the same blessings ! " Surely, the monks who used to 
put peas in their shoes, as a penance, did not suffer more than 
some of us did on that march. I recall the celerity with which I 
kicked off my "whangs," and getting a refreshing drink of cold 
water from the well at Fort Ward, I dropped on the ground and 
dropped off to sleep in the twinkling of an eye. 



204 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 







We were somewhat 
rudely awakened to- 
ward sunset by the or- 
ders to "pitch tents," 
which we soon accom- 
plished to the satisfac- 
tion of the officers. 
Hard-tack and coffee 
were then served for 
supper, and didn't they 



go good, particularly the hot coffee from the old iron kettles ; 

" The old coftee kettles, the iron bound kettles, 
The old coftee kettles that hung on a pole." 

" The Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania Regiment," wrote H. T. 
Chace, "came into camp to-night too late to pitch tents till morn- 
ing. Some of them came over to our tent, tired out and hungry. 
Fortunately our canteens had just been filled, and they speedily 
emptied them " What hospitality ever equaled that of comrades 
in the days when "we drank from the same canteen ! " How we 
all slept that night ! " Phat a blessing," said Pat, "that noight 
niver comes in till late in the day, when yer all toired out, and 
couldn't march no more, anyhow, at all, at all, not even if it was 
morn in ! " The morning dawned at length and found us a good 
deal refreshed, but somewhat stiff and sore. It proved to be 
another scorching day, "with a sky of brass, an earth of ashes, 
and the air of a furnace." Captain Hale wrote home: "To dis- 
tinguish it from our last camp, 'Camp Frieze,' we designated it 
4 Camp Scorch,' although no special order was issued to that effect. 



fell' 

! 1.1 ;lt 




r 6 «4 



206 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

I should judge from appearances that this particular portion 
of the sacred soil has undergone the effect of the last great con- 
flagration. I was about to say, prematurely, but more properly, 
in advance of the rest of the world. Barren desolation marks it 
as far as the eye can reach, and Corporal Stump, after scouring 
the plain with a critical eye, remarked, ' that the most nimble of 
grasshoppers could not cross it unless he carried three days' rations 
on his back.' The country has been even stripped of its fences 
and hedges to remove every cover for the enemy, and everything 
has a grim, ravaged look." Our camp became generally known as 
"Camp Misery," while the members of the Ninth Regiment, 
which arrived the following day, Saturday, preferred to call it 
"Camp Desolation," a very appropriate name. 

"Our present camp," says H. T. Chace, "is in one respect, at 
least, superior to the old one, viz. : in the evenness of the tem- 
perature. The nights are not so cold or damp as at Tennallytown. 
We have more company around us, also. It is evident that a 
large number of troops are being concentrated on this great plain 
at ' .Seminary Hill.' Between ten thousand and twenty thou- 
sand are already here. This famous camping-ground, over two 
hundred acres in area, recently witnessed the stately march of the 
grand army of the Potomac, on its departure for the Peninsula. 
We hear that the various regiments and batteries assembling here 
are to be consolidated into a division. Every hill top is crowned 
with the inevitable fort ; near us are forts Ward, Worth, Blenker, 
and Ellsworth. Fort Ward is a large earthwork mounting several 
thirty-two pounders, and rifled field pieces. It commands the 
roads to Fairfax Court-House, and Leesburg." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



207 



" Seminary Hill takes its name from a« 1 
group of handsome brick buildings partly 
hidden in a grove on its southeastern slope, 
known as Fairfax Seminary. Here Messrs. 
Bancroft, Wheeler, and Hoffman studied. 
In yonder grove they have many times 
walked. We are now fairly entered on a sol- 
dier's life, and expect a rough time. Break- 
fast, this morning, consisted of hard-bread 
and coffee, without sugar or milk. I was 
on guard from ' five to seven o'clock,' and 
had a pleasant time enjoying the view. Be- 
fore me was Fort Ward ; off to the left 
oblique Munson's Hill ; to the right oblique 
was Washington and the Capitol, while the 
unfinished Washington Monument loomed 
up, plainly visible." 

"As we marched through Washington, down Fourteenth Street, 
we passed near the monument, which was on our right hand." 
At that time it was but partially built, and was but little more 
than a staring mass of marble blocks, covered with mighty der- 
ricks and scaffolding. It was also surrounded by the government 
cattle yards and slaughter-houses, and presented anything but an 
inviting appearance. Corp. Nathan H. Baker, of Company B, tells 
a good story of being detailed with a squad of men from Camp 
Frieze, to get a supply of beef for the regiment, at the monu- 
ment stock yards. After performing this duty, Baker accom- 
panied by Nelson W. Aldrich, of Company D, made a visit to the 




Washington Monument. 



208 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

Capitol, and as Congress had not assembled for the day, they pro- 
ceeded to the desk of Representative George H. Browne, of Rhode 
Island, and decked it with some spring flowers. They then 
retired to the gallery to await the result. Soon Colonel Browne 
entered the chamber, noticed the floral decoration of his desk, 
and was well pleased with this mark of attention and respect. 
The next year Colonel Browne buckled on his sword and rendered 
good service in his country's defence. A few more years passed, 
peace and union were restored, and Nelson W. Aldrich, the young 
volunteer of the Tenth, became a representative of the House 
from his native state. 

The Washington Monument is a granite shaft faced with white 
marble, six hundred feet high, fifty-five feet square at the base, 
and thirty feet square at the top. Under the auspices of the 
Washington National Monument Society, the construction of 
the monument was begun in 1848, on the very spot selected by 
Washington himself for a memorial of the American Revolution. 
Funds amounting to nearly $250,000 were contributed by the 
people of the United States of all ages and from all quarters of 
the Union, and the construction continued until 1856, when it 
reached a height of over one hundred and fifty-six feet. The 
financial embarrassments of the time led to the discontinuance of 
the work, and it was not until 1877 when, by act of Congress, its 
completion was authorized, and it was finally dedicated, in the 
presence of President Arthur and his cabinet, on the 22d of Feb- 
ruary, 1885. The address of the occasion was written by Robert 
C. Winthrop, who in 1848 had delivered an oration on the laying 
of the corner-stone. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 
The Army Mule. 
[Sweet Bye and Bye.] 



"You may sing of your 
beansand hard-tack, 
< )t bad water you drank 
from the pool : 
Of tin cup. tin canteen, 
haversack, 
But you must not forget 
the old mule ! 



209 




^•::.:;v v ' v :;'^:": 



The Army Mule. 
Chorus'. Good old mule, army mule. 

Both your ears were so graceful and long: 
You were true to our flag, 

So we'll praise you in story and song! " 

" Shortly after crossing Long Bridge," wrote Chace, " on the 
Virginia side, we noticed a large drove of mules, herded to- 
gether by the road-side. They numbered upwards of two thou- 
sand." The motive power of an army wagon usually consisted of 
six of these long-eared creatures, although horses were substituted 
when available. It requires special training to be a good mule 
driver. Mules are stubborn things, — when you will, they won't ; 
and when you won't they will ! After being kicked by a mule, 
with both fore and hind feet, a young volunteer mule-driver was 
glad to withdraw in disgust. I heard of a Virginia mule which 
lived in a coal mine nine years after the war, without seeing 
daylight. The old fellow was hoisted up the other day, and his 
first act was to kick a boy sky-high. Nine years in a coal mine 
won't make a mule anything but a mule. 



2IO 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Water Filter. 



June 27. H. T. Chace, says, "At 
ten o'clock we fell in for drill which 
ended in our marching two miles to 
Hurd's Run, and all bathing, which 
was truly refreshing. When on the 
march some of the men are provided 
with filters, an ingenious device for 
straining the water and relieving it 
from the presence of insects and im- 
purities. On the way we passed sev- 
eral farms, one located on a rising knoll 
with large trees affording a pleasant 
shade. Near by, at the top, were the 
ruins of an old mansion-house, while at the entrance by the road- 
side two gate-posts still stood like grim sentinels. A fine meadow 
extended to the right and left, with a crop of rotting, ungathered 
grass, presenting a sad picture of war's desolation. To have been 
obliged to leave such a home must have been painful indeed ; but 
trees, fences, and houses, are all swept away. Briggs and I 
were detailed, before dinner, to go to Fort Ward, for bricks, to 
repair the cooks' fireplaces, many of which were left here by the 
regiments preceding us. We obtained a good supply by boldly 
venturing under the guns of the fort, where we found a great 
many lying scattered about on the ground. It was an inspiriting 
sight to see the various batteries drilling and hurrying from point 
to point, in quick response to the bugle-calls, with an occasional 
race, by way of diversion. All these things enliven us, and add 
the spice of variety to a soldier's life. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



21 I 




" Foraging appears to be re- 
duced to a science here. Even 
in pitching tents we had to look 
out for our axes and mallets. 
If we happened to lay them down 
for a moment, just to turn round, 
we were very likely to find them 
missing. The contrabands, also, 
arc great foragers, and the chick- mit 
ens and the ducks have to suffer 
accordingly." 

Old Decatur, an aged African, 
was recently found late at night 

in the vicinity of a neighbor's hen-yard, when he was thus inter- 
viewed by the proprietor : 

" It's pretty damp, Decatur, for a person with rheumatism to 
be prowling around here at this time of the night." 

" Mebbe so, massa, but it's de doctor's advice." 

"What, do you mean to tell me that the doctor advises you to 
be out here nights ? " 

" No sar, not 'zactly dat way, sar — but he says, ' Catur, you 
mus' hab' chicken brof, whedder or no ! ' ' 

" Our bill of fare at dinner to-day, was as follows," says Chace : 
" * Soup — chicken, mock-turtle, oyster. * Roast — beef, lamb, 
turkey. Fried — bacon, hard bread. Entrees — olives, sardines, 
pickled shrimps. * Dessert — nuts, raisins, figs. Drinks— water." 



Note.— The items marked * were unfortunately overlooked by the cook, and we were con- 
sequently reduced to fried bacon, hard bread, and water. 



2 12 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Tempting Game. 



" Corp. Nathan H. Baker went out 
on a little foraging expedition yes- 
terday afternoon," wrote the author 
in a letter home, June 27th, "and 
calling me out, on his return, dis- 
played a single, solitary chicken. It 
was safely landed in the High School tent, where it was secretly 
stowed away, and in due time Corp. William P. Vaughan under- 
took to construct a chicken stew for the whole mess, consisting of 
seventeen hungry recruits. He said he could do it, and had never 
failed us on good coffee, but it proved to be ' fowl play ' in this 
instance. He proceeded to fill one of our large iron mess buckets 
with water, prepared and placed the chicken therein. He then used 
up about all our stock of pepper and salt for seasoning, and after so 
many minutes by the watch, and a pretended tasting, he said 'fall 
in for chicken stew.' So we all fell in, and each had his share, as 
he found, unduly seasoned ; for he immediately passed his cup 
along to the next victim, with a wry face. There was plenty of 
stew for all, and a good supply left for the college boys. Our 
cook says, ' next time draw a little less water and more chicken ! ' ' 
"This afternoon," resumed Mr. Chace, " Cady and I are on 
guard. We are on the second relief, two hours on, and then four 
hours off. As we were on, the Ninth Rhode Island came march- 
ing into camp. They left Camp Frieze at five o'clock this morning, 
June 28th, reaching here about twelve, traveling by a shorter 
route than we did. The weather is very warm, and for some 
time the men came straggling into camp, tired out. The survey- 
ors are now laying out the quarters of the Ninth, adjoining ours." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 2I3 

"Judging from the variety we have thus far had," wrote Chace, 
of Company D, "a soldier's life is about the spiciest of any." It 
is well illustrated by the following excellent poem by Prof. W. 
Whitman Bailey, another high private of Company D, Tenth 
Rhode Island Volunteers : 

A Day in Camp. 

•• Faintly sounds the ' reveille,' and now it louder thrums ; 
We hear the music of the life, the tapping of the drums, 
And mutter ' you must louder beat before this private comes ! ' 

What! calling to ' police ' the camp, is that our duty, too? 

To sweep and dust with mop and broom, like common ' biddies ' do ; 

And not a taste of coffee yet? This work is somewhat new! 

There's ' peas upon a trencher,' the breakfast call, they say, 
Our cup and pan we haste to seize, and gladly speed away. 
To take our meagre little third of ' rations ' for the day. 

'Guard-mounting' after breakfast comes, parade turned inside out, 
Just watch the major of the drums how he doth strut about; 
The greatest man upon our side, of this there is no doubt. 

Then comes the call for morning drill, our 'cap' a man is he, 
Who posted up the night before on his ' Revised Hardee,' 
Just ' boned '* his tactics like a man, from ' taps ' to ' reveille.' 

You cannot stick him, don't you try, and questions will not do; 
The guard tent, lo, adjacent stands, in front of it a crew 
Of myrmidons to execute, the insurbordinate few. 

The morn is spent in drilling, but ' roast beef sounds at last, 
The salt-junk motions us to come to our sublime repast, 
Ere envious harpies from on post descend to break their fast. 

"*Boned," a West Point cadet word for hard study. 



2 14 THE TEN TH REGIMENT 

A pipe, and then more tactics, to help the captain out, 
That he may know to-morrow how best to ' face about,' 
Or form ' a line of battle,' ere the rebels knock us out. 

Battalion drills and lots of things in time will interpose, 
To let us feel that martial life is not 'coleur de rose,' 
Nor idling all the time away, as most recruits suppose. 

At dress parade the soldier, if he has a bit of pride, 
Steps gaily forth, a gallant man, of all the earth espied, 
And holding in his single hand his country's welfare wide, 

Melodiously the bugle is sounding the ' retreat;' 

The weary work of day is done; there's rest for tired feet, 

The 'briar woods' will offer soon the night's supreme treat. 

Ah! what is like those old-time nights around the flaring blaze? 
What comrades like the ones we met in yonder vanished days! 
Old time will keep their memory green and fresh for us always. 

But hark! that surely is ' tattoo,' how quick the time has sped! 
Now hasten every soldier true to unroll his ' little bed,' 
For ' taps' will soon be beating, and a day in camp be fled." 




RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



2 I 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 
Genera/ Orders No. j. Washington", June 26, 1862. 

All commands of the Reserve Army Corps south of the Potomac, not garri- 
soning fortifications will constitute a Division to consist of two Brigades. 

The first brigade to be under command of Brigadier-General Cooke, and to be 
stationed at Cloud's Mills. Virginia, and will comprise the following commands: 

Fourteenth United States Infantry, . . . Major Williams. 

Seventeenth L'nited States Infantry, ... 

Nineteenth United States Infantry, ... 

First and Eleventh United States Infantry. . 

Sixty-ninth New York Infantry, 

Sixth New York Cavalry, .... 

Ninth New York Cavalry, .... 

Second Pennsylvania Cavalry, 

Company L, Sixth United States Cavalry, 

Detachment Fifth United States Cavalry, 

Sixteenth New York Battery. 

The second brigade to be under command of Col. Zenas R. Bliss, Tenth Regi- 
ment Rhode Island Volunteers, and to be stationed near the Fairfax Seminary, 
and will comprise the following commands : 

Battery L, Second New York Artillery, 

Sixteenth Indiana Battery, .... 

Battery C, First New York Artillery, 

Second Excelsior Battery, .... 

Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, 

Ninth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, 

Thirty-second Massachusetts Volunteers, 

Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, 

The above troops will report at once to their respective commanders. 

The quartermaster will furnish the necessary transportation. 
Official: S. D. STURGIS, 

William C. Rawolle, Brig.-Gen. Commanding. 

Captain and A. D. C. 



Colonel Baglev. 
Colonel Devin. 
Colonel Beardsley. 
C( ilonel Price. 
Captain Brisbin. 
Lieutenant Fosdick. 
Captain Locke. 



Captain Roemer. 
Captain Naylor. 
Captain Barnes. 
Captain Bruen. 
Colonel Blis>. 
Lieit.-Col. Pitman. 
Lieut.-Col. Parker. 
Colonel Pierce. 



2l6 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF VIRGINIA, 

Washington, June 27, 1S62. 
< • < neral Orders No. /• 

In accordance with instructions from His Excellency the President of the 
United States, the undersigned assumes command of the forces comprising the 
late departments of Major-Generals Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, together 
with the forces in and around Washington, now under command of Brigadier- 
General Sturgis. The headquarters of this command will be established for the 
present in Washington. 



'.. neral Order* Xo. 2. 

Col. George D. Ruggles is announced as Assistant Adjutant-General and 
Chief of Staff at these headquarters. 

Official: JOHN POPE, 

Maj .-Gen. Commanding. 



Headquarters, Second Brigade, 

Sturgis's Division, June 28, 1862. 



( a neral Orders No- 1 ■ 



In obedience to instructions contained in General Orders Number Three, 
Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, Washington, D. C, the undersigned 
hereby assumes command of the Second Brigade, Sturgis's Division. 

Official: ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Col. Tenth R. I. Volunteers 
JOHN V. Tobey, Commanding. 

Adjutant and 

I t'g Ass't . \d/"t <ien' I. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 2 I 7 



(•Literal Orders No. 5. 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 
Alexandria, Va . June 2(j, 1S62. 



I. The Ninety-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, the Ninety-first 
Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, the Fifty-ninth Regiment New York Vol- 
unteers, and the Thirty-second Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, will move 
at once, provided with one hundred rounds of cartridges and five days' rations 
to embark at Alexandria, Virginia. The quartermaster will furnish the neces- 
sary transportation. 

II. The Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers (Col. Zenas R. Bliss), 
will take immediate possession of the forts to he vacated by the Fifty-ninth 
Regiment New York Volunteers. The colonel commanding is directed to send 
an officer and a sufficient force in advance, to receipt for and take charge of all 
Government property in said forts. 

III. The Ninth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers (Lieutenant-Colonel 
Pitman), will take immediate possession of the forts on the east branch of the 
Potomac, extending from Fort Meigs to Fort Greble. 

IV. The colonel commanding is directed to send an officer and a sufficient 
force in advance to receipt for and take charge of all Government property in 
said forts. 

V. The Sixty-third Indiana Volunteers (Lieutenant-Colonel Williams com- 
manding), will take the place of the Ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, as 
provost-guard, in Alexandria. 

By order of 

Brig.-Gen. S. D. STURGIS. 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Capt. and A. A. G. 
28 



2l8 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



< a- in- nil Order* Xo. S. 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps. 
Alexandria. Va., June 29, iSf>2. 



I. The following announcement of the staff of the general commanding is 
made for the information of all concerned : 

Lieut. -Col. J. A. Haskin, Inspector-General : 
Capt. H. R. Mighels, Assistant Adjutant-General ; 
" Nelson Plato, Chief Quartermaster: 

F. E. Berrier, Chief Commissary : 
" William C. Rawolle, Aide-de-Camp : 
" I. K. Casey, " 

' : H. B. Sturgis, " 

J. S. Grier, " 

II. Col. J. A. Haskin is placed in charge of fortifications north of the Poto- 
mac; his headquarters will be established in Washington City. All reports and 
returns of the troops north of the Potomac intended for these headquarters will 

be made to his office. 

By order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS. 

H. R. Mighels, 

Capt. a 7iti A. A. G. 



Special (>>■</<>■ No. 9. 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 
Alexandria, Va., June 30, 1S62. 



Col. Zenas R. Bliss, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, is hereby relieved from 
duty as Acting Brigadier-General, Second Brigade, Reserve Army Corps. 



Bv order of 



Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

H. R. Mighels, 

Capt. and A. A. G. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 2IQ 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment, R. I. Vols., 
Seminary Hill, Va., June 30, 1862. 

Second Lieutenant William C. Chace, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, is 
hereby detailed as Acting Assistant Quartermaster for the Tenth Rhode Island 
Volunteers, and will report immediately to these headquarters for instructions. 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Col. Tenth /.'. /. I r ols. 
Commanding. 



Col. Zen as R. Bliss. 

Co»i'<r Tenth R. I. Vols. 



Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 
Alexandria. Va., June 30, 1S62. 



You will proceed at once to Fort Pennsylvania, Tennalh town. 1). C, with 
jour entire command, the Light Battery included. 

Bv order of 

Brigadier-General STURGIS, 

Henry R. Mighels, 

Capt. and A. A. G. 

Seminary Hospital, Georgetown, I). C, 
June 29, iiSf>2. 

Sir: I have to inform you of the death, this day, of Private William F. 
Atwood, of Company A, Tenth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers. Disease, 
peritonitis. His funeral will take place at four o'clock to-morrow. 

Very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

JOSEPH R. SMITH. 
To the Adjutant and Captain of Ass' t Surgeon U. S. Army 

Company A. Tenth Regiment R. I '. in charge of Hospital. 

Vols., Camp at Seminary //ill. Va. 



220 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




The sudden death of Fred Atwood produced a universal feeling 
of sorrow. He was greatly beloved for his manly qualities. 

June 15th, only two weeks before, he had written home that 
he was well, and had been into Washington "to see the sights." 
He then described his visit to the Capitol, and of going in to 
listen to the debate in the Senate. " I also went," he continues, 

" over the Patent Office, and among 
the millions of curious things, the 
most interesting to me were the 
articles that belonged to General 
Washington. There were his coat, 
vest, and knee-breeches, which he 
wore when he resigned his com- 
Washington's Treasure Box. mission at Annapolis. There was 

his iron treasure box, sword, lantern, chairs, 
tent-poles, fire bucket, etc. That room con- 
tained enough to interest me for a month. 
I then visited the White House, and went 
into the reception room, which is furnished 
splendidly. I wish that you and I could stay 
here a week and go around as much as we 
liked. We have but little sickness. I am in 
as good health as I ever was. We will have 
to give up the good times we were going to Fire Bucket - 

have, for the present, but if I get back at the end of the three 
months, we will make up for lost time." Just two weeks later 
came the sudden and startling intelligence of his death. He left 
the noble example of a brave and spotless manhood. 




RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 22 1 

"Early on the morning of Monday, June 30th," wrote Lieut. 
Winthrop DeWolf, " came the order assigning the Tenth Regi- 
ment to garrison duty in the seven forts and three batteries 
hitherto occupied by the New York Fifty-ninth, constituting that 
portion of the defensive chain which protects the capital on the 
northwest. A lieutenant, sergeant, and twelve men from each 
company, under command of Lieut. Samuel H. Thomas, of Com- 
pany B, were detailed to march at once and take possession of the 
several posts, in advance of the main body, so as to expedite the 
departure of the Fifty-ninth, ordered to join McClellan on the 
Peninsula, who was then fighting and retreating to a new base on 
the James river. The detachment of one hundred and forty men 
reached Tennallytown soon after noon, with only twelve miles 
marching. At Fort Pennsylvania, near by, our several posts were 
assigned us. Much to my satisfaction our little party were sent 
to Chain Bridge to occupy Battery Martin Scott, commanding 
that important approach to Washington. Here we remained 
three days, seemingly forgotten by the world, for no familiar face 
presented itself ; no army wagon with rations crept down the long, 
steep hill ; no newspapers, no mail, nobody came to see if we 
were dead or alive. Yet do not grieve for us. We lived on the 
fat of the land — and the water too. From the Potomac we had 
shad, herring, and catfish ; by energetic foraging in the neighbor- 
hood we obtained milk, butter, eggs, chickens, corn-bread, sugar, 
and coffee, and a dilapidated stove found near by sufficed to cook 
them. On the whole we were rather sorry when the message 
came from headquarters that Company D was occupying Fort 
De Russey, where we were to report forthwith." 



2 22 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



Captain Hale, Company 
I, under the nom-de-plume 
of Matthew Bagnet, wrote : 
"It is related somewhere 
in profane poesy that : 

'The king of France, with forty 
thousand men, 
Marched up the hill, and then 
marched down again.' 



Well, the gallant Tenth 
have imitated his illustri- 
ous example, on a some- 
what more extended scale 
in point of distance, if not 
of numbers. In short we 
have made a forced march 
— at least, I suppose that is what they call it — for it was a march, 
and we were forced to make it. After marching up the hill, we 
were scarcely settled in our new location, had scarcely drawn 
the vinegar bottle out of our stocking, and the pepper-sauce from 
our shirt-sleeves (where they had been placed for safe transporta- 
tion), had just filled to overflowing our eyes, ears, noses, mouths, 
lungs, and epidermis, with the dusty exhalations of 'Old Vir- 
ginny,' when the order came for us to move, and here was where 
'we marched down the hill again.' 

"Early Monday morning, June 30th, tents were struck in a 
hurry, baggage-wagons loaded at the double-quick, and we were 
ready to resume the march, at a run if necessary, anything to 




Marching Orders. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 223 

escape Camp Misery, Seminary Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia." 
A three mile march brought us to Alexandria, where we marched 
by the Marshall House, singing "John Brown " and "Ellsworth's 
Avengers," led by Levi Burdon, of Company D, who stood on the 
hotel steps. The headquarters of Acting Brig.-Gen. Zenas R. Bliss, 
was also serenaded. "At length the regiment halted on a long 
wharf, facing the Potomac. After the usual, and, of course, neces- 
sary delay, we were packed, bag and baggage, men and guns, on 
board some transports bound to Washington, where we arrived 
about dusk, and, unfortunately too late to unload our baggage. 
So, after a weary rest on Sixth street, we resumed our march for 
Tennallytown, at 10.30 p. m., reaching that memorable locality 
about 2.30 a. m., and a very cool and penetrating a. m. at that. 
Here we bivouacked, without tents or blankets. 

" Bivouac is a word of French extraction, and I am sorry that the 
use of it is not confined to that volatile nation. But it is not, so 
we bivouacked in a ten acre lot, without even a rail fence to keep 
the cold out. Tired and foot sore, we lay down on the cold 
ground, with the sky for our nearest covering, and the horizon 
for the sides of our bed. I secured a handful of straw and tried 
to fashion it into a luxurious couch, but the straw was obstinate 
and wouldn't be fashioned. Corporal Stump tried to cover him- 
self with his gun, but found he couldn't tuck in the sides, and so 
didn't go to sleep for fear he should fall out of bed. Some 
crawled into hay -ricks and some into barns, while the corporal, 
after vainly trying the protection of his musket, betook himself to 
the shelter of an empty flour barrel, which fitted him to a nicety, 
and where he slept the sleep of innocence. 



224 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

" Between dozing and shivering, the hours dragged slowly on. 
Now nodding off into fancied comfort, and now waking up in real 
discomfort ; now trying to soften the hard bosom of mother 
earth, and then in a sleepy delirium trying to pull the edge of a 
ten acre lot over one for a coverlet ; such is bivouacking." To 
counteract the effects of the damp night air, whisky rations 
were issued to stimulate the flagging zeal of the men who 
were getting faint at heart, weak in the knees, and lame and 
sore in body. "At early dawn, July ist," Capt. Elisha Dyer 
wrote, "the regiment was in motion, and hungry, weary, and 
dispirited, marched to the headquarters at Fort Pennsylvania. 
At noon a piercing northeasterly storm came upon us, without 
tents or other protection, except such as was afforded by the quar- 
termaster's store-house and other lesser buildings left by the 
Fifty-ninth New York. On the floor, among boxes and barrels, 
our men lay huddled together for hours without food or relief of any 
kind. The result of this last trying march from Virginia, was an 
addition to our sick list, upon which the writer's name appeared 
for a few days. Our camp equipage, knapsacks, and stores, at 
length arrived, and company quarters were assigned and marching 
orders given. Companies B and K, Captains Dyer and Low, to 
Fort Pennsylvania, the regimental headquarters ; Company A, 
CaptainTaber, to Fort Franklin ; Company C, Captain Vose, Bat- 
teries Cameron and Martin Scott ; Company D, Captain Smith, 
Fort De Russey ; Companies E and I, Captains Cady and Hale, 
Fort Alexander ; Company F, Captain Harris, Fort Ripley ; Com- 
pany G, Captain Greene, Fort Gaines ; Company H, Captain 
Duckworth, Batteries Vermont and Martin Scott." 



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226 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Plan of Fort Pennsylvania. 



Fort Pennsylvania mounted three Parrott siege guns and nine 
24-pounder barbette guns ; Fort Gaines, four 32-pounder barbette 
guns ; Fort De Russy, three 24-pounder and four 32-pounder bar- 
bette guns ; Fort Alexander, seven 32-pounder barbette guns ; Fort 
Franklin, six 32-pounder barbette guns ; Fort Ripley, six 24-pounder 
barbette guns ; Battery Vermont, three 32-pounder barbette guns, 
and is mounting more ; Battery Cameron, two 42-pounder bar- 
bette guns ; Battery Martin Scott, one 32-pounder barbette gun 
and two mountain howitzers ; total, fifty guns. These forts and 
batteries extends over a space of six or eight miles, from Battery 
Cameron on the left, near the Potomac, to Fort De Russy on the 
right, near Rock Creek, commanding the view at and near Chain 
Bridge, and the roads to Harper's Ferry and Rockville. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



227 




A brief review of the military situa- 
tion in Virginia, in June, 1862, is neces- 
sary in order to understand why our 
forces around Washington were ordered 
into Virginia, and a week later were 
ordered back, or, how we resembled 
the soldiers of another army, who 
"marched up a hill, and then marched 
down again ! " 

Notwithstanding the success achieved at Fort Oaks, June 1st, 
the situation of the Army of the Potomac besieging the Con- 
federate capital, was becoming critical. And, although on the 
following clay, the advance under Hooker pushed forward within 
sight of the steeples of Richmond, McClellan declared that he 
could accomplish nothing further until his right was reinforced 
by McDowell's Corps, which had been withheld for the defence of 
Washington. On the twelfth instant, McDowell advised Mc- 
Clellan : "For the third time I am ordered to join you, and 
hope this time to get through. . . . McCall's division goes 
in advance by water. I will be with you in ten days with the 
remainder via Fredericksburg." To support this forward move- 
ment to the Peninsula, a general advance was ordered of all the 
forces around Washington to concentrate at Seminary Hill and 
Cloud's Mills, in Virginia, and, in a few days, an entire division 
under the command of General Sturgis, was in position, the Ninth 
and Tenth Rhode Island Regiments and Battery being assigned 
to the Second Brigade, Col. Zenas R. Bliss, acting brigadier-gen- 
eral, commanding. As we pitched our tents on Seminary Hill, 



228 HIE TENTH REGIMENT 

on the afternoon of June 26th, it was generally believed that at last 
we were on our way to Richmond, perhaps to aid in making an 
end of the Confederacy. Not much was said about fighting, but 
doubtless a good deal of thinking was done on that tender subject. 
But at that very hour, the turning-point of the Peninsula cam- 
paign was reached. Jackson had escaped the combined pursuit 
of Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, and joined the main army of 
Lee at Richmond. By his masterly movements he had prevented 
the reinforcement of McClellan's exposed right, by McDowell, 
and now interposed his own corps of thirty-five thousand men 
between them. He had so completely puzzled the authorities at 
Washington, who appear to have been directing, or misdirecting 
the campaign, that it seemed to them that Jackson was more 
likely to be sweeping down the Shenandoah Valley than to be 
marching back to Richmond. For this cause they held back the 
reinforcements, and McClellan was left to meet the impending 
attack, unaided. On the 25th, the Secretary of War telegraphed 
him, " Neither Banks, Fremont, or McDowell, have any accurate 
knowledge of Jackson's whereabouts." On the 26th, McClellan 
reported that Jackson was on his right, driving in his pickets. 
At three o'clock that afternoon, as the Tenth Rhode Island Volun- 
teers were quietly pitching their tents at Seminary Hill, the 
battle for Richmond was set in motion at Mechanicsville. The 
next day, the 27th, Jackson took command of the left wing of the 
enemy, and attacked McClellan's right with such overwhelming 
force at Gaines's Mills as to turn his position and cause his retreat 
to the James river. The order to withdraw was especially bitter 
to Hooker, on the left, who had pressed forward to the very gates 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 229 

of Richmond, where the prize seemed almost within his grasp. On 
the same day, June 26th, when AlcClellan reported the arrival of 
Jackson in his front, after outmanoeuvring and outmarching, the 
combined forces of Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, these here- 
tofore three independent commands were consolidated into one 
army, called the Army of Virginia, and Maj.-Gen. John Pope, 
whose success in the west had given him reputation, was assigned 
by the President to the chief command. Two days later, when the 
news of McClellan's retreat to the James reached Washington, 
all orders for the advance of troops were countermanded, and, with 
other forces, the Tenth Rhode Island Regiment and Battery were 
ordered back to the vicinity of their old camps. 

The following is the order creating the Army of Virginia : 

Washington, June 26, 1S62. 
General Orders Mo. 103. 

I. The forces under Major-Generals Fremont, Banks and McDowell, includ- 
ing the troops now under Brigadier-General Sturgis. at Washington, shall he 
consolidated, and form one army, to be called the Army of Virginia. 

II. The command of the Army of Virginia is especially assigned to Major- 
General Pope as commanding general. 

The troops of the Mountain Department, heretofore under command of Gen- 
eral Fremont (after Fremont's resignation General Sigel was appointed), shall 
constitute the first army corps, under the command of General Sigel. 

The troops of the Shenandoah Department, now under General Banks, shall 
constitute the second army corps, and be commanded by him. 

The troops under the command of General McDowell, except those within 

the fortifications and the City of Washington, shall form the third army corps, 

and be under his command. 

By order of the Secretary of War. 

E. D. TOWXSEN1), 

Assistant Adjutant-General. 




THE TENTH REGIMENT 

July ist. Fortunately 
the author escaped the 
night march to Tennally- 
town, for he wrote, " I 
was appointed on the 
rear guard to remain at 
Washington and look 
after the stores and bag- 
gage on the transports. 
There was no room for 
us either in the cabin or 
forecastle, so we tried 
to find a soft bed in the 
hold. Sleep was diffi- 
cult, however, among the boxes and barrels and smells which sur- 
rounded us, and we were glad when the morning came, and we could 
mount up on deck and get a supply of fresh air. After getting 
the baggage loaded on the army wagons, we started for camp. 
Two of us were put in charge of a sutler's provision wagon, and 
after marching a while we climbed in behind, and, being almost 
famished, feasted ourselves on bologna sausages, greasy pies, 
cakes, doughnuts, and cookies. The doughnuts were either 
hand made or machine sewed, but we have become pretty well 
'seasoned' for anything during our short campaigning, and we 
managed to 'get away' with quite an allowance of the sutler's 
pastry." It was the only time we had pie enough in the army. 
Fortunately the road was rough, and we were well shaken up, 
else we might have died from the graspings of indigestion. 



Back to Tennallytown ! 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 23 I 

The author had been in camp only an hour or two when he was 
summoned to the officers' quarters, and informed that he had 
been detailed from the regiment under the following orders : 

Headquarters Reserve Army Corps, 
Col. Zenas R. Bliss, Washington, D. C.July 1, [S62. 

Com'g Tenth R. I. Vols. 
The General Commanding directs me to say that you detail two intelligent 
non-commissioned officers or men as clerks to Col. George 1). Ruggles, head- 
quarters of General Pope, at the War Department. 

WILLIAM C. RAWOLLE, 

Captain and A. D. C. 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment, R. I. Vols., 

Fort Pennsylvania, July 1, 1862. 
Special Orders Xo. J 4. 

Company B will detail one non-commissioned officer or man for service as 
clerk to Colonel Ruggles, headquarters of General Pope, at the War Depart- 
ment, who will report to these headquarters forthwith for instructions. 

By order of 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 

John F. Tobey, Colonel Commanding. 

Adjutant . 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 

Fort Pennsylvania, July 1, 1S62. 
Special Orders A'o. /j. 

Company D will detail one non-commissioned officer or man, for service as 
clerk to Colonel Ruggles, headquarters of General Pope, at the War Depart- 
ment, who will report to these headquarters forthwith for instructions. 

By order of 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 

John F. Tobey, Colonel Commanding. 

Adjutant. 



-J- 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




General Pope had just arrived in 
Washington, from the west, and as- 
sumed command of the Army of Vir- 
ginia. A fortnight was spent in organ- 
izing his personal staff, and two men 
were detached from the Tenth Rhode 
Island Volunteers for special service at 
headquarters, the author from Com- 
pany B, and Charles H. Wildman from 
Company D, and the following orders 
were issued : 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 
Special Orders Xo. 16. Fort Pennsylvania. July 2. 1S62. 

Privates William A. Spicer, of Company B. and Charles H. Wildman, of 
Company D, are hereby detailed for service in Washington as clerks to Col. 
George D. Ruggles, Chief of Staff, at the headquarters of General Pope, and 
will report at the War Department for duty forthwith. 

By order of ZENAS R. BLISS, 

John F. Tobev, Colonel Commanding. 

Adjutant. 



Gen. John Pope in 1862. 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 
Colonel Ruggles, Fort Pennsylvania, July 2, 1862. 

A. A. G. and Chief of Staff. 
I have the honor to report that in accordance with orders yesterday received, 
the bearers, Privates William A. Spicer and Charles H. Wildman are detailed 
for service as clerks in your department. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Signed, JOHN F. TOBEY, 

Adjt. Tenth R. I. Vols. 




Our Ambulance Ride. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 23^ 

r> Letter from the author: "Head- 

quarters Army of Virginia, 232 G 
Street, Washington, July 3, 1862. 
Don't be startled because I've turned 
up in another new locality. Sunday 
night, June 30th, was our last at 
Camp Misery, in Virginia. Monday 
night, July 1st, I slept on board a 
transport at the Washington Navy 
Yard, and Tuesday afternoon reported at Fort Pennsylvania. 
Things were in a tipsy-topsy, hurly-burly state on my arrival." 
"Unfortunately," says Captain Dyer, "that curse of the army, 
whiskey, found its way among our men and confusion reigned." 
One of the men always got drunk on pay-day, in order, as he 
said, that he could see double, and thus, in imagination, get 
double pay. Another man was wiser, who kept sober, but 
always put on his spectacles when eating cherries, so that the 
fruit might look larger and more tempting. 

"Tuesday afternoon, June 2d, I had spent but an hour or two in 
camp, at Fort Pennsylvania, when I was officially informed (see 
orders inclosed), that two of us, had been detailed for special ser- 
vice at the War Department, with orders to report at once. 
Hurriedly packing our knapsacks, and loading all our personal 
effects into an army ambulance, we bade our comrades good-bye, 
and started for Washington about half past two p. m. The rain 
was descending in sheets, as we halted at the War Department, 
and we got our feet thoroughly soaked in transferring our bag- 
gage from the ambulance to the corridor of the War Office. 



30 



234 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




" We found, on inquiring, that it was 
past office hours, so we walked twice in 
the pouring rain to Colonel Ruggles' 
residence. He received us kindly, and 
gave us a note to General Wadsworth, 
the military governor of the district. 
After scanning us pretty sharply he 
gave us an order on the superintendent 
of the Soldiers' Retreat, the place where 
we stopped when we first arrived in 
fuxyvo- f^££e0 Washington, and from which we were 
secretary of Navy. glad to retreat. As it was fully two 

miles away, in a drenching storm, and no umbrellas even hinted 
at, we determined to beat a retreat to the War Department, and 
see what would turn up. We told our story to the night janitor, 
a kind hearted Irishman, and he at once became interested in our 
behalf, and obtained permission for us to occupy Adjutant-General 
Thomas's office for the night. Mr. Welles, with long, white 
beard, the efficient secretary of the navy, was pointed out to us. 
We then stepped across the street to a restaurant and enjoyed 
the first square meal we have had since leaving home. On re- 
turning to the War Department we had the great pleasure of 
seeing President Lincoln walk down the corridor. He carried an 
old fashioned umbrella big enough for two, and appeared anxious 
and depressed. It was the day after the battle of Malvern Hill, 
and the campaign against Richmond had ended in failure." During 
these disheartening days Mr. Lincoln spent much of his time at 
the war office. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



35 



\ 






" I am glad to report that we slept 
soundly last night in the office of Uncle 
Sam's Adjutant-General, which we think 
is quite an honor for boys of seventeen ! 
I am now writing at General Pope's 
Headquarters, No. 232 G Street, near 
the War Department. It is a good place 
to see the leading officers. Generals 
Sturgis and Banks called this morning. 
General Pope is in citizen's dress. We 
think we shall like our duties first-rate. 
Our rations have been commuted at 
seventy-five cents per day, with forty 
cents additional for our services at headquarters. We are to 
sleep here to receive night dispatches, and take our meals close 
by the office. Wildman and I propose to make our beds on the 
carpet in the general's office. To-morrow is the glorious Fourth 
of July! How I would enjoy spending it at home! There will 
be no public celebration here, but we are to have a holiday, with 
passes from General Pope giving us permission to go about the 
city independent of the provost guards. My pass reads as follows : 




At Headquarters. 



JPass Number 1 ■ 



Headquarters, Army of Virginia, 
Washington, lulv ^. 1S62. 



The bearer, William A. Spicer, is employed as clerk at these headquarters, 
and will be permitted to pass to any part of the city, at all time^. 

By command of Major-General POPE. 

George D. Ruggles, 
Colon, i '. A. A. G., and Chief of Staff. 



236 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




7 — 1 S — I— •*,— h — sH — ! — 1 1— 

|— #~r— ?-» 1 9— -^-t * ; — •— 

Say, oh Dutchy, will ye fight mi t Si -gel? 



-** — r 



15E:7± 



Zwel glass o' la - ger. Yaw! Yaw!! Yaw!!! 

- — 1 s — 1 s — 1 sH — ' — 

— 0—i — ^ P — * — - p — * — -^-r * — 



♦ — 



AY ill 



■9 9- 

ye fight to help de bul-ly 



ea - gle? 



P 

1 — 9- 



^=d=zz«; 



-#— # 



3: 



^m 



Scbweltzer-kase und pret-zels.Hurraw!— raw! juw! 



Hurraw! We Fights Mit Sigel 



I read in the Provi- 
dence Journal of June 
27: " The appointment 
c — I of General Pope to the 
command of the Army 
of Virginia will be re- 
garded as news almost 
as welcome as that of a 
victory." "It does look 
as if he meant to 'push 
things.' He has kept 
us busy sending military 
dispatches in all direc- 
tions. What we don't know about what is going on, isn't worth 
knowing. When the general arrived, a few days ago, he found 
the forces under Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, widely scattered. 
Then Fremont resigned, and General Sigel was appointed in his 
place. His two division commanders are Generals Schenck and 
Schurz. All this is very gratifying to the German soldiers. Sigel 
is ordered to cross the Shenandoah Valley at Front Royal, and take 
post at Sperryville. Banks is ordered to take up his position at 
Little Washington, a few miles northeast of that place. One of 
the divisions of McDowell's Corps has been ordered forward to 
Waterloo Bridge, on the line of the Rappahannock, a few miles 
southwest of Warrenton, while his other division is held at Fred- 
ericksburg, by direction of the government. The total effective 
force, including cavalry, is about fifty thousand. The whole plan 
of the campaign is changed by the movement of the Army of the 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 237 

Potomac to Harrison's Landing, which leaves the entire army of 
General Lee interposed between that of the Army of the Potomac 
and the Army of Virginia." 

"July 6th. General McDowell called at headquarters, this 
morning. I spent nearly all the forenoon carefully copying a 
long personal letter from General Pope to General McClellan, at 
Harrison's Landing, James River, headquarters Army of the 
Potomac, fully stating his plans and position, and the disposition of 
the troops under his command. He requests General McClellan 
in all good faith and earnestness to write him freely and fully his 
views, and to suggest any measures which he thinks desirable to 
enable him to cooperate with him and promises on his part to render 
all assistance in his power. He writes, ' I am very anxious to assist 
you in your operations, and I will run any risk for that pur- 
pose.' In conclusion, he says, 'I therefore request you to feel no 
hesitation in full}' stating your plans, and, so far as in my power. 
I will carry out your wishes with all the energy, and with all the 
means at my command.' ' The only reply to this cordial commu- 
nication was a very formal note from General McClellan, very 
general in its tenor, and proposing nothing whatever toward the 
accomplishment of the purposes suggested by General Pope. It 
became apparent, therefore, that there was to be no harmonious 
cooperation between the Union commanders in Northern and 
Southern Virginia, so necessary for the success of the campaign. 
" Later in the day I forwarded a military telegram to General 
Banks, stating that the critical condition of affairs near Richmond, 
renders it highly probable that the enemy will advance upon 
Washington, in force." 



238 Tin: TENTH REGIMENT 

"July 15th. By direction of General Pope, I copied yesterday, 
an important address to the Army of Virginia, for the government 
printer. A copy will be forwarded to the Ninth and Tenth Rhode 
Island Regiments and Battery." 

HEAtiqUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA, 

Washington. D. C., July 14, 1862. 
To the Officers and S,d<//crs 0/ tin Army of Virginia: 

P>\ special assignment of the President of the United States, I have assumed 
the command of this army. I have spent two weeks in learning your where- 
abouts, your condition, and your wants : in preparing you for active operations, 
and in placing you in positions from which you can act promptly and to the pur- 
pose. These labors are nearly completed, and I am about io join you in the field. 

Let us understand each other. I have come to you from the West, where we 
have always seen the backs of our enemies ; from an army whose business it has 
been to seek the adversary and to beat him when he was found; whose policy 
lias been attack and not defence. In but one instance has the enemy been able 
to place our western armies in defensive attitude. I presume that I have been 
called here to pursue the same system, and to lead you against the enemy. It 
is my purpose to do so, and that speedily. I am sure you long for an oppor- 
tunity to win the distinction you are capable of achieving. That opportunity I 
shall endeavor to give you. Meantime I desire you to dismiss from your minds 
certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue amongst you. I hear 
constantly of taking " strong positions and holding them," of " lines of retreat," 
and of " bases of supph ." Let us discard such ideas. The strongest position 
a soldier should desire to occupy is one from which he can most easily advance 
against the enemy. Let us study the probable lines of retreat of our opponents, 
and leave our own to take care of themselves. Let us look before us, and not 
behind. Success and glory are in the advance: disaster and shame lurk in the 
rear. Let us act on this understanding, and it is safe to predict that your ban- 
ners shall be inscribed with man v a glorious deed, and that your names will be 

dcai to your countrymen forever. 

JOHN POPE. 

Major- General Commanding. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



239 




ileadquarters military defences, 
North of the Potomac, 

Washington, July 15, 1S62. 

To Col. Zenas R. Bliss, 

Tenth Reg 7 R. /. ( r ols. 

By direction of General Sturgis, cqmraan 
ing, the firing of blank cartridges at the forts 
garrisoned by the companies of your regi- 
ment will be discontinued. 

Signed. J. A. IIASKIN. 

T. lent. -Col. A. D. C, 
In charge of defences north of the Potomac. 



Lleut.-Col. J. A. Haskin. 

The firing of the big guns on the forts had been clone for artil- 
lery practice, but it disturbed certain nervous people in Wash- 
ington, and was discontinued for military reasons. One of the men 
wrote : " Colonel Haskin is a brave and accomplished officer, who 
left his arm at Chapultepec, but who still preserves a certain 
cheerful manliness which wins the admiration of all who meet him." 

Colonel Shaw's report says : "The transfer from camp to gar- 
rison was anything but agreeable to the regiment. It compelled 
us to forego all hope of perfecting ourselves in infantry tactics, 
and to commence with the rudiments of artillery, with which we 
were entirely unacquainted. Commendable progress was soon 
made with our new arms ; but extended as we were over so long 
a line of fortifications, the garrison at each post was necessarily 
small, and the duties severe. In addition to other duties, a detail 
of forty men was required to report daily at Battery Vermont, to 
complete the extension of that work." 



240 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Outfit for Battery Vermont. 



" Building forts is one of those 
heroic but unobstrusive occupa- 
tions for which our soldiers got 
little credit. I took an orderly's 
horse in front of headquarters, and 
rode out to Tennallytown, to see 
the boys at Fort Pennsylvania. 
They appeared glad to see me 
back again. They say that be- 
tween heavy artillery drill, gar- 
risoning old forts, and building 
new ones, their time is pretty well 
used up. You should see them, hand-spike in hand, heaving at 
the wheels of those forty-two-pounders. The latest conundrum is, 
'Why are the boys of the Tenth in such good company now, at 
the forts ? ' 'Because they are closely associated with so many 
big guns ! ' But they say they would rather heave at those heavy 
guns, or make another long tramp into Virginia, and even fight a 
little than to wear their lives away these hot days, shovelling- 
sand. There doesn't appear to be anything very exciting or in- 
spiring about it, and the patriotism of the boys is at a low ebb. 
Some of them wear a badge made of lead, consisting of a pick-axe, 
spade, and broom in combination, to represent their new employ- 
ment at Battery Vermont. It has been very warm at the fort. In 
one of the tents the thermometer registered 102 degrees, so that you 
can imagine how nice and cool it is here. The boys are all pretty 
well browned, and a good many, I noticed, will go home adorned 
with a beard which they did not support when they left home." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 24 I 

Company A, Corp. Albert C. Winsor, furnishes the following 
interesting article on "The Fourth," at Fort Franklin: "The 
anniversary of National Independence was made a marked occa- 
sion at Fort Franklin by a presentation of colors to Company A, 
Capt. William E. Taber, the gift of the ladies of the Fifth Ward 
in Providence. Comrade Wendell P. Hood presented the flag, in 
a neat and patriotic speech, Captain Taber gracefully acknowl- 
edging the gift in behalf of the company. Patriotic speeches were 
also made by First Lieut. Joseph L. Bennett, Jr., Company A ; 
Captains H. B. Cady, Company E ; William M. Hale, Company I, 
and others, and at eleven o'clock the flag was hoisted to the head 
of the staff greeted by nine rousing cheers and the singing of the 
'Star Spangled Banner.' This will be a memorable day to the 
members of Company A, also, from the fact that a large sized box 
arrived at the fort last night, well filled with lemons, sugar, 
tonics, cigars, and tobacco, the gift of the store-keepers and 
friends in the vicinity of South and Point streets, to enable the 
' Blue Pointers ' to celebrate, and remind them that they were not 
forgotten by the friends at home. The boys had remembered 
their part, and after dinner the camp was visited by a party of the 
Seventy-first New York Regiment, who were encamped about 
two miles from Fort Franklin ; the comrades were welcomed, and 
generously entertained, toasts were given, and the camp re- 
sounded with patriotic songs ; fun and sociability were then in 
order and greatly enjoyed, as many of the boys will testify by 
the mementos that were exchanged in caps, buttons, and figures. 
As the guests left the camp nine cheers were given for New York 
and Rhode Island." 

31 



24- 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



The following letter of acknowledgment from the chaplain, to 
the ladies of the Fifth Ward, will be interesting : 

Fort Pennsylvania, D. C. Julv 17. 1862. 
Rev. C. H. Fay, Providence* 

My Dear Brother: Please excuse the long delay in answering yours, 
which accompanied the beautiful standard presented to Company A (Captain 
William E. Taber). by the ladies of our Fifth Ward. 

The delay has arisen from a little misapprehension, the captain supposing 
that I had answered it, while I thought he had done so. 

As the ladies have heard, a debilitating illness made it impossible for me to 
go to Fort Franklin on the 4th of July, and present the standard, as desired by 
you, in their behalf. 

It was a grievous disappointment not to have that privilege; although, as far 
as the company and the donors were concerned, nothing was lost; Mr. Hood, 
a member of Company A, having made the presentation in terms which the 
ladies would have regarded as eminently befitting the occasion. 

They may rely on it, that nothing since we left home has given Company A 
so much pleasure as this token of remembrance and of confidence from their 
lady friends of the Fifth Ward. 

1 will guarantee, moreover, that the Stars and Stripes will never be dis- 
honored at the hands of that noble company. 

I knew them at home. I have known them far more intimately here: and I 
assure you that both officers and men are, as a body, of the right stamp to be 
entrusted with the beautiful emblem of our country's liberty and greatness. 

Please express to the lady donors the thanks of the company: assure them 
that their gift is appreciated, and will be sacredly preserved as an honored 
trust: and if borne into battle, will be defended to the last — upborne by no 
coward's hands. 

Please, also, to thank the ladies for the honor they conferred on myself, in 
selecting me to make the presentation : and, believe me, 

Ever, sincerelv. vours. 

A. HUNTINGDON CLAPP, 

Chaplain Tenth R- I- Vols. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 243 

Company B, Fort Pennsylvania, July 4th : "Perhaps you would 
like to know," wrote comrade James F. Field, "how we cele- 
brated the day. The first thing was breakfast, consisting of beef- 
steak, white bread, and coffee. At half past nine, Companies B 
and K were formed in line and marched to the colonel's head- 
quarters to listen to a literary feast. An oration was delivered 
by Joshua M. Addeman, and a poem was read by Henry S. 
Latham, both of Company B. After the exercises we had a very 
spirited speech from Mr. Sheffield, one of our representatives 
in Congress. Soon after we were dismissed, a large box of good 
things arrived from the Ellsworth Phalanx (High School com- 
pany). It was quickly opened and the contents were very much 
appreciated. Your box was also very welcome, especially the 
cookies. After a few minutes not a vestige of them remained. 
They tasted tip-top, much better than the first lot, which got 
mixed up with the catsup from the broken bottle. At half past 
two dinner was served. Roast beef, potatoes with gravy, beets, 
onions, peas, and, to crown all, lemonade — and the best of all was, 
there was enough to 'go around, and around.' 

" It was intended that the Declaration of Independence should 
be read as a part of the exercises, but it had to be omitted, as one 
of our company, Nathan H. Baker, rode all over the neighboring 
country in vain, to procure a copy. He did at last succeed in find- 
ing one framed, but it was in such fine print that he gave it up as a 
bad job. At twelve o'clock a salute was fired by the Tenth Rhode 
Island Battery. During the day and night previous there was 
firing from the forts on the other side of the Potomac, but we have 
had orders not to fire any more, for military reasons." 



244 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

"Toward night, yesterday, July 3d, we had one of the most 
terrific thunder-storms I ever saw. I happened to be out in it 
for a few minutes, so I know, and got completely soaked through. 
The wind blew almost a hurricane. You probably are aware that 
in a fort the magazine is in the centre, and that the top is some- 
what higher than the surrounding embankment. A guard or 
picket is stationed on this magazine all the time. In order to 
hold the fort, during the terrific storm of wind and rain, he had 
to stick his bayonet in the ground the whole length, and then 
brace himself against it. As it was, he came near being blown 
off the magazine. But he held on all through the pelting storm, 
which continued at least half an hour." 

Mrs. Partington says, she pities the poor soldiers who have to 
stay out on pickets in the scorching rain, especially when the pickets 
arc driven in ! 

"Companies B and K," wrote Private Edwin B. Fiske, "are 
still in a flourishing condition, and we can say in the language of 
a distinguished statesman, ' We still live ! ' Others have written 
and told you of the glories of camp-life and its romantic associa- 
tions, which are welded in a soldier's mind, never to be erased ; 
and he who is permitted to return to his home after the conflict 
is over, will have as many stories to tell, and stirring incidents to 
relate to fire the hearts of the young, as fired our hearts when 
listening to the tales of the old Revolutionary patriots, when our 
fathers waded through blood and fire to rescue our country from 
the tyrannical heel of Great Britain. And more, we labor to 
secure the establishment of our government upon a broader and 
freer system than has heretofore existed." 




RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 245 

Com.-Sergt. James O. Swan was a 
capable and hard working official. 
His constant care and vigilance 
helped bring about a much needed 
reform in the quality of our rations. 
He had then, the same quiet, con- 
vincing way, to make things move 
right along — that distinguish him 
now in his official duties at the City 

Hall. Some Of the boys thought On Com.-Sergt. James 0. Swan. 

account of his stern and dignified air that he must have a hard 
heart. They were mistaken ; he always had the interests of the 
regiment in mind, and demanded the fullest consideration for the 
men from others, to the extent of his authority. 

Private Fiske continues : "Allow me to say a few things about 
ourselves in and around Fort Pennsylvania. The fort is built 
upon a hill, in a commanding position, and if properly manned 
could not easily be taken. General McCall's division was en- 
camped in this vicinity last winter. These troops were badly cut 
up in the late battles before Richmond. Fort Pennsylvania is now 
garrisoned by Companies B and K, of our regiment, and the Tenth 
Light Battery. The avenue of Company B is called Dyer Avenue, 
and that of Company K, Low's Avenue, in honor of the company 
captains. Here you find 'University Hall' with the students 
from 'Brown;' the 'Martin Box,' named after the chief of the 
mess ; ' Tiger's Retreat, &c. As you pass down Dyer Avenue, the 
first tent is that of Orderly Phillips, called by the boys the ' Dio- 
clesian Tower.' It appears that the 'orderly' used to advertise 



246 THE TENTH REGIMENT. 

his store near Grace Church, Providence,' 'as the great skate and 
floral depot directly opposite the Dioclesian Tower.' He is a 
very lively and efficient officer (just the same), and has a prompt 
way of calling the men into line with the order, 'Fall in B's ! ' 
' Lively B's ! ' On the opposite side of Dyer Avenue you see the 
sign, 'Whang Hotel,' the quarters of the High School mess, 
Charles L. Stafford, sergeant. The ages range from sixteen to 
twenty. At dress parade last night, General Pope's stirring ad- 
dress was read, and the resignation of our quartermaster, Lieut. 
James H. Armington, with a general order from Colonel Bliss 
complimenting him for the efficient management of his depart- 
ment. Lieut. William C. Chace, of Company B, is now acting- 
quartermaster, and is a model one. We live much better than 
we did at Camp Frieze ; there it was tough enough! Some of 
the tents look more like express offices than anything else, by 
the number of boxes piled up in them, showing that our boys 
are not forgotten by the friends at home." 

Occasionally the opening of a box revealed an unwise selection, 
or careless packing. A case was opened one morning, smooth 
and polished without, and neatly jointed, when an overpowering 
odor filled the air, and drove everybody from the neighborhood. 
The intolerable stench proceeded from " concentrated chicken," 
which had been badly prepared. The box had been for some time 
on the journey, and the nicely cooked " concentrated chicken," 
had become a mass of corruption. "Be Jabbers!" said Irish 
Jimmy, the drayman, as he wheeled the box away, "I hope the 
leddies — God bless 'em! won't send enny more of their 'conse- 
crated chicken ' this way, for it smells too loud intirely ! " 



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248 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




" While Companies B and K were encamped at 
Fort Pennsylvania," wrote Corp. Joseph E. Handy, 
of Company K, "my friend and comrade, Carlo 
Mauran, says, ' Corporal, I have found a hen-house, 
with hens in it. Will you go with me to-night, and 
visit the hen-roost ? ' I told him I would go with 
him, so after dark we started out, through the brush. 
'This is somethin' like huntin' squirrels, ain't it,' 
said Carlo, as we groped our way along, but at length 
we arrived at the coop. I went in, while Carlo 
stood guard outside. It was a dark night, and 
darker still inside the hen-roost, so I felt round all 
over the place, but couldn't find anything. Then I 
stooped down, and felt along on the ground, and 
found a large hen hovering a brood of chickens. 
The hen is a kind mother, but still she sits on her children ! I 
took the hen and passed her out to Carlo, who retired a short dis- 
tance, wrung her neck and plucked her feathers. We then re- 
turned to our tent, and, after dressing the fowl, we got one of the 
cook's mess kettles, and began cutting it up to cook, when ' taps ' 
were sounded ; but we kept on, just the same, peeling our pota- 
toes, and then seasoning the stew. Soon Capt. Frank Low came 
along in front of the tent. ' Put out that light,' he said. Carlo 
replied, ' Corporal Handy is sick ! ' 'All right,' said the captain, 
'be as quiet as possible.' 'Yes, sir,' said Carlo. When all was 
done and ready to cook, we put out the light. (A bayonet stuck 
in the ground, holding a candle in the socket, provided us with a 
convenient and portable light.) In the morning we turned the 



Light after "Taps ! 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 249 

chicken over to the company cook, George A. Whelden, and he 
made us a first-class chicken stew. I then took a portion of it up 
to Captain Low, steaming hot, for his breakfast. He scanned it 
carefully, looked at me, and said, ' So this accounts for your sick- 
ness last night, doesn't it?' I smiled audibly in the affirmative. 
'Well,' said the captain, 'whenever you happen to be taken sick 
again for chicken stew, let me know, and I will let you keep your 
light burning as long as you wish ! ' " 

This story from Company K is almost as good as that of a sol- 
dier in a Pennsylvania regiment, encamped near some country 
village, like Tennallytown, who trained his cat so that she would 
go regularly to a neighboring grocery and steal mackerel for him 
out of a tub. She didn't lie about it, though. 

" Dr. Briggs, United States Medical Inspector, paid us an 
official visit yesterday, examining closely, our tents, and the 
grounds, to see if everything was kept neat and clean. He 
seemed apparently well-pleased and satisfied, for he said that 
everything was O K around here. 

"A few clays ago one of the teamers of Company C, Captain 
Vose, had his horse run awav, and by some means got entangled 
in the reins, and fell from his horse. One of the wheels passed 
over his head, bruising it badly ; the other passed over his 
shoulder, breaking his collar bone. At first, his life was despaired 
of, but by the skill of Dr. Wilcox, he is getting better." 

" Our new rifles have arrived, and the remainder of the clothing- 
due us. W T e have built quite a dam across a small stream near 
our camp, which affords a nice place for bathing (with the water 
up to our knees), which is a great luxury." 

32 



25O THE TENTH REGIMENT 

" Fort Alexander, July 23d. In arranging our new camp," 
wrote Captain Hale, "some generalship was required in selecting 
the best location, both on sanitary and cautionary grounds. If 
we were quartered inside the fort, we should be less exposed 
to marauding parties of the enemy who could only get at us after 
passing the abattis, ditch, and parapet. But if we were compelled 
to run at last, we should have no where to run to except to run 
away, and that is sometimes considered discreditable in good sol- 
diers. Besides, a close inspection of the barracks showed that 
marauding" parties already held possession of them, and that they 
made up in numbers what they lacked in size. 

"On the other hand if we had pitched our camps outside the 
fort and were compelled to evacuate it, we could run into the fort, 
and if finally compelled to run from there, we should become so 
accustomed to running as to do it with perfect ease and consider- 
able rapidity, and thus secure a double base of retreat. 

" So we chose for our quarters a beautiful grassy slope, over- 
looking the broad Potomac, fringed with wild flowers, and com- 
manding a fine view of the hills and vales of Virginia. Here we 
set up our tents, and our tin-ware, and thanked God that we had 
found such comfortable quarters after all our weary wanderings. 
But human happiness is liable to sudden reverses, and ours did 
not differ from the common lot of man, for we were scarcely 
settled in our new quarters, when we discovered that they had 
previously been selected as a place of meeting of an immense 
entomological convention, with delegates from every part of the 
world of bugs. The convention holds uninterrupted session of 
twenty-four hours' duration, the importance of their business being 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 25 I 

such as to admit no intermission. In the discharge of their duties, 
they enter our noses, skirmish about our ears, and commit forays 
upon our unprotected eyes. Having discovered that shirts and 
drawers are not the natural covering of man, they penetrate their 
recesses, and institute minute examinations, and no doubt make 
elaborate reports upon the formation and texture of the human 
skin. Many of them, like other distinguished savants, fall mar- 
tyrs to the cause of truth, especially when they turn their atten- 
tion to the nature and quality of our food, in which branch of 
inquiry they are as zealous as the best of our human conventions. 

"Occasionally, J take the liberty to interfere with their pro- 
ceedings, by covering such parts of the anatomy as are particularly 
open to their inspection. I am not versed in the fly dialect but 
am fully satisfied that on such occasions they make use of very 
profane language. For I can hear a confused buzzing, that sounds 
like ' Here he is, confound him, if we could only get at him,' ' He's 
playing 'possum, blast his eyes,' etc., etc., when the crowd retire 
in disgust to visit my fat lieutenant, who presents a much broader 
and deeper field of inquiry than I do. 

"At dusk, they are relieved by the moths, crickets, and wood- 
ticks, and other insects, nameless and innumerable. The crickets 
remind one of the female orators at an anti-slavery meeting, by 
making a noise entirely disproportionate to their size. 

"Since the settlement here of Companies E and I, we have 
been practising at heavy artillery and rifle drill. I suppose the 
two are combined to compensate for each other and establish a 
general average. We handle the heavy guns in the morning to 
settle our breakfasts, and the rifles in the afternoon to give us an 



252 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

appetite for supper. Both proceedings are eminently effectual. 
In regard to the big guns, the amount of sponging and ramming, 
heaving, pointing and firing that we have accomplished, ought to 
be sufficient to quell a moderate size rebellion, if done in earnest." 

Colonel Shaw says: "The exceeding kindness of Col. J. A. 
Haskin, Inspector of Fortifications, in instructing our officers and 
men in their new duties should be honorably mentioned. I have 
seen him leave his desk and go to the door to show a private sol- 
dier his way of doing it." 

" Perhaps the most instructive, if not agreeable feature of 
camp life at Fort Alexander, is displayed in the administration 
of the culinary department. The 'Army Regulations,' alloiv a 
cook, but unfortunately they don't furnish one, so that each 
' mess ' is obliged to look out for its own. We found ours in a 
sable gentleman of the African persuasion, who came to us on 
a broiling July day, with an oleaginous smile. We had been living 
for some time, 'at loose ends,' and thought him a valuable acqui- 
sition. He was said to be highly recommended, but I have never 
been able to ascertain who said it. He could cook anything from 
an egg to an elephant ; either with or without fire or water. We 
have not had a chance to try him on the elephant, but he has 
certainly failed on the egg. There is a pleasurable excitement 
and delightful uncertainty in our relations with the cook. It is 
like Tom Pinch and his sister in their first efforts at housekeep- 
ing. You never know whether your beef-steak pudding will turn 
out a pudding or something else. In our case, it frequently 
doesn't 'turn out' at all. Judging from the results accomplished, 
I should say that our cook followed some simple receipts not laid 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 253 

down in the ordinary cook-book. The following are quoted for 
the benefit of the uninitiated : 

"Eggs are liable to be soft, unless boiled from five to fifteen 
minutes. (If the cook is busy, they may remain a while longer.) 

" Fried eggs should be done black on the under side, to give 
them a relish. 

"Salt cod-fish is freshened by being soaked in water. All 
aqueous exposures are therefore to be avoided. 

"Corn-bread, hoe-cake, johnny-cake, and corn dodgers, are 
made of meal and water, carefully dried by a slow fire. Any sud- 
den heat is liable to brown them, and is therefore to be avoided. 

"Army beef is made tender by long boiling, and is thereby 
made eatable. But, as it is not designed to be eaten, it should be 
only half cooked. 

"It is the chief duty of the cook to look out for number one, 
and to see that volunteers do not become enervated by delicate 
viands. He will therefore devour all tit-bits and choice morsels, 
to keep them out of the way of temptation. 

" Our cook is great at foraging. Foraging is procuring neces- 
sary subsistence by buying when you can't steal it, or stealing 
when you can't buy it, — or stealing, per se, whether you can buy 
it or not. The last is the favorite mode in this section. Starting 
off after an early breakfast, the cook is gone for the best part of 
the day, foraging. The result of a day's active exertion may be 
summed up in a pair of meagre chickens and a lank cod-fish. 
The chickens are put into a coop to fatten, but after being care- 
fully and bountifully fed, there is just enough of them to flavor 
a stew. By some singular casualties they are generally minus 



254 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



legs or wings, or both, when served by our cook, who is never 
able to account for the deficiency. I am happy to say, however, 
that no such misfortune befalls the cod-fish, which always come to 
the table, complete in all its parts. One specimen of our cook's 
biscuits will suffice. We tried one, and then had the balance 
piled up like cannon balls. If not used as projectiles against the 
enemy, they will be distributed among the various cooking schools 
of the country, carefully labelled, ' Not to be eaten on pain of 
death.' Early applicants can secure choice specimens by paying 
freight and charges. N. B. — Two postage stamps enclosed, will 
entitle the sender to the best specimens, with the cook thrown in. 

" We are still practising artillery drill, rifle drill, battalion drill, 
company drill, and squad drill, and if we don't succeed in coming 
home thoroughly drilled, we shall certainly be partially bored." 

Battery Vermont, July 20th, Corp. B. F. Pabodie, wrote : "All 
our visitors concur in saying that Company H has the most in- 
viting spot of any occupied by the regiment. Our little battery 
of three 32-pounders, is situated on the south side of the roads 
leading to the Potomac, and about half a mile from it. It is built 
partially on the site of an old stone house. From the appearance 
of the ruins, the growth of shrubbery, and the remains of a large 
stone barn below it, it must have been a country seat of no mean 
pretensions. On the opposite side of the road, stands our quarters, 
consisting of one frame, and two log-houses. A yard in front, is 
nicely shaded by two rows of locust trees. This is a part of the 
aqueduct property, and belongs to the government. The reservoir 
from which the supply of water from Washington and George- 
town is taken, lies near us at the foot of the hill." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



?55 



Fortunately a 
fine sketch of 
" Headquarters, 
Company H," is 
still preserved, 
engraved by 
Sergt. Charles 
P. Gay, on the 
bottom of his 
mess-pan. It is 
evident that 
his hand was as 
steady as at the 
target shoot of 
the Burnside 
Zouaves in Au- 
gust, 1 86 1, when 

he bore off the first prize, a silver cup, which was presented to 
him by Governor Sprague. He has a good record as a soldier, 
serving not only in the Tenth, but afterwards as a lieutenant in 
the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. 

Resuming, Corporal Pabodie wrote : " The work of enlarging 
Battery Vermont has been commenced. Details of men from 
each company, amounting to forty, have been at work for several 
days, and when the addition is finished, and another 32-pounder 
mounted, the battery will present quite a formidable appearance. 
Our diet at present consists mainly of blackberries and milk." 

Sergeant Gay tells the following story of their milk supply : 




A Memorable Mess-Pan. 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




"Job Armstrong was one 
of the advance guards of 
jjs?; Company H who first took 
' possession of Battery Ver- 
mont. He was also a great 
milk forager, and had a won- 
derful faculty in deluding the 
cows of the neighborhood 
into the belief that he was 
one of their own calves. A 
cow would stand placidly, 
chewing her cud, while Job 

Milking the Cow. ■, i • . <-^ 1 i 

with a persuasive ' bo bossy, 
would milk with all his might. One day after he and another 
comrade had filled pails and canteens, and drank the milk foam- 
ing fresh from the cow, they hurried back to camp, and concealed 
a large pan of milk under Job's bunk. Soon the farmer's wife 
arrived and complained to Captain Duckworth, that some of his 
men had milked her cows. Nobody knew anything about it, and 
Job, who had overheard everything, declared with much warmth, 
that he didn't believe there was a man in Company H mean 
enough to do such a thing, but he'd make it his business to go 
through every tent, and if he found anybody with milk in his 
possession he would report him. Thus assured, the woman de- 
parted. A few minutes later Job called me to the orderly's quar- 
ters, and there under the bunk was a large pan full of milk. 
'Now,' says Job, ' I want you to help me get rid of it, among the 
boys; they'll find it just bully with their blackberries." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 257 

Let us visit the room occupied by Orderly-Sergeant Winchester 
and his mess. "They have fitted it up in imitation of a steamboat 
cabin, with bunks arranged one above the other, several tiers high. 
One night, recently, a private was allowed to occupy the upper 
berth, and as he slept he dreamed that he was peacefully reposing 
in his own cot at home, where he heard voices appealing to him : 

' Stay, stay with us, — rest, thou art weary and worn ! 
And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay : — ' 

But just at that moment he started up and rolled out of the top 
berth, and struck the floor with a sound that aroused the other 
sleepers with the impression that a bomb-shell had been dropped 
in their midst, or that Stonewall Jackson was upon them. The 
poor disappointed private felt hurt in more respects than one, 
and murmured something about 'being at home,' and 'seeing 
stars.' After a vigorous rubbing of his sore places, he climbed 
back into his perch, and turned over against the wall. The next 
day he was able to report for service, and went through the usual 
drill, but evidently with a good deal of difficulty. 

"There is an interesting member of the orderly's mess who goes 
by the name of Richard Swiveller, Esq. He it is who soothes 
the orderly's troubled nerves (when disturbed after the day's 
arduous labors), with the musical notes of the flute. 

"The extreme hot weather, the numerous drills, and the work at 
Battery Vermont begins to affect the troops unfavorably. The 
health of the regiment is not as good. Hospital accommodations 
have been largely increased, but the sicknesses do not appear to 
be alarming ; they are generally slow fevers. 
33 



2v 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Home Messages. 



"Since we have become 
settled here, many letters and 
delicacies from home, have 
continued to pour in upon us. 
We have received from the 
Burnside Zouaves two dry 
goods packing boxes, and one 
pickle-keg full of things good 
to eat and to wear. The ex- 
press charges are enormous, but the disposition here appears to 
be to charge soldiers fifty per cent, more than anybody else. 
Captain Duckworth is a soldierly and efficient officer, and under 
his direction we have made quite an advance in company and 
also artillery drill. The other night one of our sentinels fired at 
what was supposed to be an approaching rebel, but which proved, 
on investigation, to be an innocent weed on the parapet, which 
nodded and bowed to the guard, as it was swayed by the night 
wind. Governor Sprague made us a flying visit yesterday. Secre- 
tary of War Stanton and family, are spending the summer near 
by, on the banks of the Potomac. Blackberries are in great quan- 
tity on the surrounding hills, while fish and eels in the canal and 
reservoir afford us an opportunity of varying our otherwise rather 
monotonous life. There is a nice fruit orchard right across the 
road where we can get our pie apples for nothing. Next door, 
the farmer never locks up his kindling wood. In fact, it's a very 
good neighborhood. One of our number, a mason by trade, has 
built a brick oven, in which we have already had baked beans and 
brown bread, and bread and hasty puddings." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



2 59 



" Fort De Russy the headquarters of Company D," says Lieuten- 
ant DeWolf, "is situated two miles east of Tennallytown, upon a 
high knoll in the midst of farms cultivated with more than usual 
care. With a short amount of labor, guided by engineering 
talent of a high order, our cam}) was first laid out upon an adja- 




Foit De Russy, from the West. 

cent knoll, tents pitched, floors leveled, trenches dug, everything 
in apple-pie order, when a one-armed gentleman of critical aspect, 
known as Colonel Haskin, of the Engineers, come round, and 
told us to move nearer the fort. Now it seemed to us that in 
case of attack we could get there at least as soon as the enemy 
could, but the colonel didn't think so, and somehow the minority 
rule prevailed. We now occupy a narrow terrace just under the 
walls, very strong, very stumpy, and rather buggy. Before many 



260 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



hours, however, the stones had been removed, the stumps trans- 
formed to seats and writing desks, and the bugs — well, the bugs, 
the spiders, the lizards, et id ovine genus, still roam through 
their accustomed haunts, the ants build catacombs beneath our 
beds, the mosquitoes hum playfully about our ears, the wood-ticks 




Sibley Tent — Company D. 

climb up the tent walls, and by the light of our solitary candle, 
gaze curiously upon our little group, selecting the most promising 
victim." The best remedy we found for getting rid of bugs was the 
liberal use of Pennyroyal, one of the old lady's three P's for getting 
rid of all her troubles, as narrated on page 168. 

July 7th, H. T. Chace wrote : " Some of the boys call our tent 
the 'Smithsonian Institute,' on account of the variety of bugs 
and insects it contains. In reference to the proposed trip to 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



l6l 



Washington, one said there was no use to spend any time at the 
'Smithsonian ' there, as we have all the specimens of ants, flies, 
bugs, and lizards, in our own quarters. 'That's so,' was the reply, 
'We not only have ten-ants, here, but a thousand ants.' Sergeant 
Mathewson has a pretty terrier, black and tan, named ' Lutitia ' 
called for short 'Titia,' a good and playful creature. Speaking of 
the army and navy at breakfast this a. m., one of the mess broke 
in with the sage remark, 'There are many strong arms in the 
navy, and many strong knaves in the army.' 




Guard House — Fort De Russy. 

" We shall soon commence heavy artillery drill. I am now in the 
guard-house in the fort, being on duty till nine o'clock to-morrow 
morning. The house is built of logs, and twelve by eighteen feet 
in size. Cady and I were on guard duty last night. When our 
turn came to be off, I placed my cartridge-box on the floor, and, 
throwing my cape over my head, and folding part of it on the box 
for a pillow fell asleep without other covering. Cady had no 
overcoat, so he took my blanket, and placing his cap on a piece 
of an inch and a half plank for a pillow, and throwing himself on 
the hard floor was soon asleep." 



262 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



"We are to have no bell ringing or gun firing, here to-day," 
wrote Chace, "but still realize it is the Fourth of July. Six of 
us were on guard in the fort, and at 2.30 this morning, we drew 
lots to see which three should be relieved for all day. I was one 
of the three relieved, and we will have to-morrow to ourselves 
just the same. For breakfast we had each two slices of bread, 
beefsteak, and coffee, from 'J. B. Chace's.' Adjutant Tobey 




Entrance to Fort De Russy. 

was in our camp to-day. We all like him. He is a pleasant 
officer and appears to understand his business. We have cele- 
brated in our mess to-day, on soup, peas, fish, coffee, custard with 
cake and lemonade, and have ordered three pecks of peaches and 
three dozen eggs for our mess for the glorious Fourth ! Some 
milk will also be brought in. We have been gladdened to-day, by the 
return of George Briggs. He will soon be all right. Armington 
is also better. He is one of the quiet, uncomplaining, obliging- 
fellows, that it is hard to do without. A little leaven leavens the 
whole lump. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



263 



"July 8th. Our little 
mess-darkey was telling 
one of his friends what 
a glorious dinner was 
given him on ' the 
Fourth,' 'ham, an' peas, 
an' custard, an' cake,, 
an' cocoa, an' — ,' when^x__ w 
the other interrupted 
him, ' You talks like a 
fool, you does. Folks 
would know you never #\f 
had a good dinner bef 0' ! 
Oh ! ! ! (long.) You just 
ought ter be where I 
used to live on P'nsiva- 

nia Av'nu' ! We could look right ober de heads of de white folks, 
we could, and frow ham and chick' n away, ev'ry night ! ' 

"Thursday, July 10th. Before 'tattoo' last night we had one 
of those pleasant hours which relieve so much the monotony of 
camp life. A guitar accompaniment, and an improvised choir did 
the business. They treated us with 'Let me kiss him for his 
mother,' ' Wav down in my old cabin home,' 'The old folks at 
home,' 'Larboard Watch,' and several college songs, all very 
finely rendered. From another post, a writer says, ' Notwith- 
standing the hardships of a soldier's life, we do not lack for amuse- 
ments. Two evenings we have been entertained by a negro 
fiddler, with dancing by both negro men and women.' ' 




264 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




On Guard. 



" Fred Armington, George Briggs, Sam 
Brown, and John Cady, are on guard to-day, 
from our mess. Privates N. W. Aldrich and 
George W. Adams are detailed from the 
company, to report for duty to the adjutant, 
at Fort Pennsylvania. Howard Sturgis has 
just gone over with the mail. It is very 
warm here. The perspiration runs when 
one is standing still. According to general 
orders, the regiment will have battalion drill 
three times per week, in a field near Tennallytown. The drill 
is to commence at nine a. m., and continue for two hours. The 
companies which are located at Forts Alexander, Franklin and 
Ripley will have a hot march of over three miles. Have just had 
a visit from three of my a(u)nts ; did not receive them very 
graciously, but expelled them in a hurry as soon as made aware 
of their presence. Never saw flies and things so tormenting as 
at this post. Yesterday afternoon Company D marched to Fort 
Pennsylvania to receive the new Enfield rifles. We went in 
single file over a narrow foot-path through the woods, with the 
trees often meeting overhead. We not only received our weapons, 
with straps and tompions, but also mess-pans, spoons, knives and 
torks. We shall really begin to live like civilized nations. This 
noon wc had blackberries, which are now plenty here, served in 
our new tin mess-pans. All our men are better, and Mason has 
returned, greatly to our satisfaction. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw 
now quarters with company D. The men gave him a hearty wel- 
come when he arrived at Fort De Russy." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



265 



"Wednesday, July 1 6th. We are progressing rapidly with the 
heavy artillery drill," wrote Chace. "This a. m. I acted both as 
gunner and as chief of the piece. There is one chief, one gunner, 
and four cannoneers to each gun. The cannoneers load, the gunner 
tends vent (that there may be no premature discharges), inserts 
the friction-primer, and sights the gun, and the chief then sees 
that it is correctly done. To-day we went over the names of the 
different parts of the gun-carriage." An amusing incident is re- 



■g^gStciX^, J^^ 








^^mtjmMi 



The Magazines — Fort De Russy. 



ported by Private Yerrington, of Company G. One clay during 
artillery target practice at Fort Gaines, Lieut. James H. Allen 
had just sighted the piece, when Colonel Haskin, Inspector of 
Forts, stepped up, and said, " Lieutenant, your aim is too low, let 
me assist you." After the gun was fired, the shot went over the 
target, and made some contrabands scatter in the wheat-fields 
beyond. The colonel enjoyed the joke at his expense, and went 
on showing us how to do it, just as if nothing had happened. He 
was a veteran in the military service, having won distinction in the 
war with Mexico. He was a very obliging officer, and was much 

respected by our officers. 
3i 



266 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



" July 20th. Yesterday Briggs and I were occupied most of 
the clay in laying floors for Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw's and Cap. 
tain Smith's tents. Both officers expressed themselves well satis- 
fied with the work done. At dress-parade we marched in front 
of the new flag-staff (just raised by the boys) when the company 
having halted, Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw run up the 'Stars and 




Raising the Flag at Fort De Russy. 

Stripes.' I never heard more hearty cheering than was then 
given. Never before had the sight of the flag excited such feel- 
ings as then. We felt as though with that flag in sight, and with 
such comrades, we could march or fight in its defence. Colonel 
Shaw made a few appropriate remarks, to which the men responded 
with three cheers. He then drilled the company for about fifteen 
minutes, after which we were dismissed for rations. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 267 

" Yesterday another box arrived, from the Second Ward folks. 
It contained ginger snaps, soda powders, soap, writing paper, en- 
velopes, etc., sugar, sardines, lemons and other eatables and drink- 
ables. Briggs has dug a hole under the head of his bed, and 
when he wishes to keep things cool he puts them down-stairs. 
Another change in our cook department to-day. Corporal Kelley 
goes out, Levi Bui don is in. We enjoyed, yesterday, the luxury 
of some home-made gingerbread. Have some? 

"July 20th. George Briggs had a box from home last evening. 
Some of the articles were nicely packed in a tin-pan, and a little 
coffee-pot. The sight of the pan caused visions of bread and rice 
puddings to pass before our minds. All we lack are the eggs. 

"July 23d. At the afternoon drill Lieutenants Amos D.Smith, Jr., 
Samuel A. Pearce, Jr., Henry Pearce, and Sergt. Philip B. Stiness, 
of the Tenth Battery, were present. A detachment selected from 
our company was put on one of the thirtv-two-pounders. They 
loaded and fired, running the gun from battery, out in full length, 
once in sixty, and once in fifty-seven seconds. A few days since 
we fired in fifty seconds. Mrs. General Burnside, Mrs. Richmond, 
and Miss Gardner were in camp this noon. Lieut. -Col. James 
Shaw has his wife and his little Ted with him. The mail just in 
has brought Sergt. Tom Tobey a commission as lieutenant in the 
Seventh Rhode Island Regiment. We heartilv congratulate him ; 
he will make a good officer, and will treat his men like men. At 
'retreat' this evening official orders from General Pope were read. 
One prohibits the soldiers of his army leaving their camps. 
Now we cannot go to Georgetown or Washington without a special 
pass from his headquarters." 



268 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




" Room Boys, Room, 
By the Light of, the Moon. 



"After sunset," wrote DeWolf, "on these 
glorious July evenings, our own band assem- 
bles, two violins, guitar, banjo, tamborine, 
triangle and bones, accompanied by a dozen 
manly voices, and song follows song, with an 
occasional interlude, during which the ne^ro 
field-hands from the neighboring farms, in- 
dulge in a regular Virginia 'hoe down,' with 
'walk round,' and 'double shuffle ' embellish- 
ments. Our evening assemblies usually wind up with the strains 
of sacred or patriotic song." What time so welcome in camp as 
the still evening hour, and what influence so potent as music, to 
cheer and refresh the drooping spirits of those whose roving tents 
were pitched far from home and kindred. 

' Yes, music is the prophet's art; 
Among the gifts that God hath sent, 
One of the most magnificent! ' 

"July 22cl. Our battalion drills near headquarters, are con- 
ducted sometimes by Colonel Bliss, and sometimes by Lieutenant- 
Colonel Shaw. The latter has recently finished his labors at the 
general court martial, of which he was president. One of the 
boys said he 'thought a little battalion drill went a great way,' to 
which another replied : 'Yes, and we have to go a great way to 
get a little battalion drill ! ' 

"July 23d. While going through 'inspection of arms,' two of 
the darkey boys joined in. It was too comical for a soldier's 
gravity to see them gravely bring their sticks to the 'right 
shoulder' and pass them to the man for 'inspection.' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 269 

"Thursday, July 24th. At the drill this afternoon, we used 
powder, shot and shell. A target was placed nearly a mile dis- 
tant at the edge of a piece of woods. The shots fell very near, 
and the shells exploded over it. We are much pleased with the 
success of the shell practice. 

" I remarked to one of the boys, ' I believe your forte is exag- 
geration.' Cady immediately rejoined, ' My fort(e) is Fort De 
Russy ! ' Our relief on from two to four a. m., was not relieved 
until 4.30, for which error the sergeant of the guard will have to 
'take it.' He was asleep. We are glad to hear that General 
Twiggs is dead. May many more of the Confederate leaders fol- 
low his example ; and the sooner, the better. 

"July 27th. After 'retreat' last evening, we were entertained 
with drumming by Master James Shaw, 3d, and he certainly did 
exceedingly well for a boy of his age. Yesterday we had a report 
that the night before, fifty guerillas had attacked Fort Slocum, 
not far from us, and were driven off. It may only have been 
some men on a drunken frolic, but it has had the effect to keep 
us on the alert. Later : The party of guerillas proved to be a 
squad of Union cavalry, bearing dispatches to Secretary Stanton. 
Rev. Mr. Woodbury was in camp to-day. 

"Just after taps, one night, Fred. Hedge said, 'Boys who will 
occupy this fort after we leave ? ' We couldn't tell so he informed 
us. 'I suppose the bugs will be left tenants (lieutenants).' He 
was immediately told to go to sleep. Between our fort and Fort 
Pennsylvania, lives an old colored woman, who has invited some 
of the boys to stop at her ' humble fabrication? when they go by. 
We are to have fish-balls to-night, William A. Harris, chief cook." 



2/0 THE TENTH REGIMENT. 

"Fort Alexander, July 1 8th. Companies E, I, F and A, 
form the second battalion of the Tenth Rhode Island, under 
Major Babbitt. We are encamped upon the heights of the 
Potomac, about eight miles from Washington, under the walls of 
Forts Alexander, Ripley, and Franklin, which crown as many 
hills and form a triangle. The river, more than a hundred feet 
below us, makes a short bend before reaching this point, and the 
small sweep visible, being studded with islands, many of which 
resemble stacks of bullrushes, has more the appearance of a frog 
pond than of that Potomac of which we have heard so much. 
But it is magnificent at sunset, where, after a smoky, hot day, 
the sun goes down like a ball of fire ; and when we have retired 
to our tents and our blankets, the noise of its waters as they rush 
over the rocks which obstruct its channel, sounds not unpleasantly, 
We are pleased with our location and its duties — pure air, spring 
water, wood, cut and dried ; excellent drainage, good bathing 
facilities, little policing, hardly more guarding, and a drill which 
gives a pleasant change, — heavy artillery in the afternoon, rifle 
drill in the morning. 

"A change has come over the spirit of this battalion. Perhaps 
I ought not to write it, but a week ago grumbling and indifference 
had begun to be too prevalent in camp. And for this reason : 
We had no muskets, save the same worthless ones which we 
brought from Providence ; we, or at least not a man of Com- 
pany E, had a cap-box; our belts were old and rotten; the ser- 
geants had no swords ; bed-ticks and rubber blankets few possessed ; 
and most of all, we had not, and for that matter still have not, 
an ensign of the Republic to revive our tired patriotism, and to 



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THE TENTH REGIMENT 



symbolize the land and the laws that we are helping to uphold. 
Last Saturday, however, we received our splendid, new Enfields, 
and the other 'fixings' wanting previously, and now we feel that 
we play the soldier no longer. Increased attention at the drills, 
stricter obedience, and, if I may so say, a revival of the whole 
regiment is the result. The health of the company is good. 

"An order has been issued offering to muster all those who 
will enlist again in the Seventh Regiment for three years. That 
some will reenlist is certain. Major Babbitt will return, ere long, 
to take his position as major of the Seventh and expects to raise 
a company from this battalion alone. Saturday, we were under 
arms to receive His Excellency Governor Sprague." 

Christopher A. Cady, of Company E, was detailed as "orderly" 
for Major Babbitt, at Fort Alexander, and carried the mails and 
other dispatches to headquarters at Fort Pennsylvania. Starting 
late one dark night, he lost his bearings at a point where a small 
stream was forded by a log, and fell into the water — mail and all, 
but succeeded in scrambling out without loss of correspondence. 
He was afterwards furnished with a horse, and continued to serve 
as orderly till Major Babbitt left for home to take the position 
of major of the Seventh Regiment. One morning on his way 
for the mail, as Cady was riding through an apple orchard, he 
stopped to fill his saddle-bags with fruit for the boys, when the 
owner suddenly confronted him. Not desiring any complaint, 
he turned over the apples, and rode on. A few days after, as he 
was riding through the same locality, a musket shot whistled close 
to his ear. He turned but could see no one. The matter was 
investigated by the major, but nothing ever came of it. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



JO 




Dr. George D. Wilcox. 
(A recent picture. 1 



In his official report to Governor Sprague, 
Colonel Shaw says : "About the first of 
August, an epidemic or malarial fever 
broke out in Fort De Russy (Company D), 
and twenty men were on the sick list at 
one time. Subsequently thefever appeared 
at Fort Pennsylvania, and prevailed so 
generally in Companies B and K, that for 
some time after the daily details were 
made, not half a dozen men from both 
could be mounted for cavalry drill." Dr. 
George D. Wilcox, our efficient surgeon, assisted by Dr. Albert 
G. Sprague, very faithfully attended to the needs of the sick, all 
of whom, save one in Company B, recovered. 

"Fort Gaines, August 7th," Capt. A. Crawford Greene wrote: 
"The extreme heat under which we have been laboring for the 
past two weeks has prevented our doing any extra duties ; but 
to-day I have mustered courage, although the mercury on the 
thermometer stands at about ioo° As I wrote you last, we are 
continuing the drill in heavy artillery, and consider ourselves 
pretty familiar with that arm of the service. We can load or 
discharge our forty-two pounders at the rate of forty-five seconds 
each round. Battery Vermont and Fort Gaines are engaged in 
mounting more guns. The boys are not quite so fond of the en- 
gineering department as we expected to be when first detailed for 
that business. Many of us have never been used to handling the 
pick and shovel, but considering it is our first attempt building 
forts I think we are making marked progress. 



274 TIIE TENTH REGIMENT 

" One week ago next Monday morning, Company G raised the 
stars and stripes over Fort Gaines, when speeches were made by 
Chaplain Clapp, Adjutant Tobey, Captain Gallup, of the Battery ; 
Captain Duckworth, Lieut. J. H. Allen, Lieutenant Pierce, Dr. 
King, Sergt. A. J. Manchester, and others. Cheer after cheer 
was sent up for the old ensign and for the speakers. It was the 
first flag raised over Fort Gaines. 

" Colonel Bliss left us yesterday, to return to Rhode Island, to 
take charge of the Seventh Regiment, now being mustered into 
the service." 

The following order was read to the regiment : 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment, R. I. Vols., 

Fort Pennsylvania, August 6, 1S62. 
General Orders No. 36. 

The colonel commanding having been ordered to report immediately in 
Rhode Island to take command of the Seventh Regiment Rhode Island Volun- 
teers, is obliged to leave his present command this day. Being unable in the 
haste of departure to visit each post of his command, he takes this method of 
expressing his regret at parting with the Tenth. 

He begs each of his officers and enlisted men, to accept his thanks for the 
cheerful faithfulness with which they have discharged all duties required of them, 
and to receive assurances of his entire satisfaction with their conduct, while 
under his command. To the Field and Staff especially, the Colonel command- 
ing tenders his thanks for the kindness which has made his intercourse with 
them uniformly agreeable. His regret at parting with them is tendered with 
the certainty of life-long memories, of this brief but most pleasant association. 

It is a pleasure to the colonel commanding to feel that though personally 
separated from this command, he will be still united with them, in the service 
of our honored State, the defence of our common country, and the triumph 
which is speedily to crown our cause. 

Signed, ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Colonel Commanding. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 275 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Voi.s., 
Eort Pennsylvania, August 6, 1862. 
General Orders No. j~. 

The undersigned hereby relinquishes command of the Tenth Regiment Rhode 
Island Volunteers. 

Signed, ZENAS R. BLISS, 

Colonel Commanding. 

"August 6th. The following resolutions were read to our 
Battalion this afternoon at dress parade, when the companies 
composing it (E, A, I, and F) joined heartily on adopting them 
and in giving nine rousing cheers for Colonel Bliss. Many of us 
hope to see him once more, and join hands again in crushing the 
rebellion : 

"Whereas, The exigencies of the service have required the recall of Col. 
Zenas R. Bliss from this command, to assume his post at the head of the Sev- 
enth Regiment, it is due to him as an officer and a man, that we tender to him 
some slight testimony of our respect; therefore, be it 

"Resolved, That during our short intercourse with Colonel Bliss, we have 
learned to esteem him for the many high qualities which distinguish him, 
both in his official and private relations; for the soldierly bearing that mark 
the former, and for the kindly heart and social disposition which have made the 
latter so pleasant to us. 

"Jtesolved, That in parting with him. we are deprived of the services of an 
officer who has done all in his power to improve us in drill and discipline, and 
whose longer connection with us would have brought us to the highest state 
of efficiency. 

"Resolved, That we congratulate the Seventh that they will be led to the field 
by so gallant and accomplished a commander, and that we tender to him the 
best wishes of each officer and soldier in this command for his future welfare, 
happiness and prosperity." 



2 7 6 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Tennallytown Church, 1862. 



" In Tennally- 
town, near Fort 
Pennsylvania, 
where we had 
our first camp 
( Camp Frieze ) 
there is a small, 
meeting - house, 

— which we used 
~ t _ at first for quar- 

— ter-raaster's 
V stores. When 

the Anderson 
Zouaves were 

there they used it for a guard-house, and tore out the pulpit, and 
destroyed the Sabbath School library. Quartermaster-Sergeant 
Lysander Flagg learning about it, sent to the Methodist Sabbath 
School in Pawtucket, and the Baptist Sabbath School in Central 
Falls, and informed them of the facts, and they immediately sent 
a large collection of their books to the little Sunday-school of 
Tennallytown. The books we presented last Sabbath. Both 
teachers and scholars were greatly pleased with this remembrance 
from the children of the New England schools." 

Comrade R. W. Chappell, of the Ninth Rhode Island Volun- 
teers, says, "that the old meeting-house at Tennallytown, was the 
last building in which John Brown preached on his way to Harper's 
Ferry, in October, 1859, where in an effort to free the slaves he 
lost his life, 'but his soul is still marching on.' " 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. 



277 



General Orders No. ?<?. 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols. 
Fort Pennsylvania, August 6, 1862. 



The undersigned hereby assumes command of the Tenth Regiment Rhode 

Island Volunteers. 

Signed. JAMES SHAW, JR., 

7, i, nt. -< 'a/. Commanding. 



Headquarters North of the Potom u . 
Washington, August 6, 1862. 

To the Colonel of the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers: 

Sir: If you have not one hundred rounds of cartridges per man in addition 
to forty rounds in cartridge-box, please send in requisition, at once. 
I am very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

CHARLES II. HALE, 

Ca/lain and A. D. C. 



Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 

Fort Pennsylvania, August 11, 1862. 
Gen. S. P. Sturgis. 

Dear Sir: I would respectfully request, if possible and consistent with the 
interests of the public service, that this regiment may be released from the 
daily details of laborers for Battery Vermont. 

I have thirty-three men on my sick report this morning, nearly all of them 
have a slow fever caused by hard work and exposure to the sun : with the ther- 
mometer varying as it has done from ioo° to 130 in the sun. during the past 
week, it is impossible for them to do the work effectually, and if attempted at 
all, it is daily adding to my sick list. I have placed the detachment under com- 
mand of a commissioned officer, and if they cannot be released, I will see that 
they do all that it is possible for them to do. 

I am, Sir, very respectfullv, vour obedient servant, 

Signed. JAMES SHAW, JR., 

Lieut. -Col. Comma tiding. 



278 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

"A verbal reply was received through Lieutenant-Colonel Has- 
kin, A. D. C, saying that a requisition had been made for 'con- 
trabands,' but they had not been obtained, so that the regiment 
would be expected to do all the work they were able. The details 
were therefore continued until the regiment was ordered home. 
It was a thankless task, which the men felt that idle hands in 
Washington might better have been employed to do. Still the 
orders were promptly obeyed, and a large amount of work was 
performed." 

August nth. Capt. William M. Hale, of Company I, was pro- 
moted to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and First Lieutenant Samuel 
H. Thomas, of Company B, was promoted to be Captain of Com- 
pany I. These were two of our most efficient officers. 

" Fort Alexander, August 13th," Lieutenant-Colonel Hale wrote : 
" Thanks to our many friends, yesterday was a gala day with 
the ' What Cheer Guards,' Company I, Tenth Regiment. It is 
marked with a white stone in our calendar, for we received such 
a supply of good things from our friends at home, as will cheer 
our hearts, to say nothing of our bodies, for the remainder of our 
campaign. Such fat living, such unctuous hams, such bursting 
bolognas, such creamy cheese and pungent pickles, such golden 
lemons, such fragrant tobacco, such crispy crackers, and soothing 
sweet bread, my feeble pen in vain essays to describe. After the 
solids were duly distributed among the messes, the liquids, 
among which are included the lemons, were compounded into 
lemonade, which, for a short time, claimed the undivided atten- 
tion of the entire command. Resolutions were then passed, 
toasts were drank, speeches were made, and songs were sung." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 279 

" The following were rescued from the wreck : 

'■'•Resolved, That Capt. Thomas W. Hart is a tall man, with a heart large 
enough to reach from Rhode Island to the banks of the Potomac. 

'■'■Resolved, That Lieut. Calvin Fuller is pure 'old government Java ' to the 
backbone. 

" Resolved, That we tender our sincere thanks to all the friends who have con- 
tributed so bountifully to our comfort. 

"Resolved, That when we get home, we will defend the Third Ward to the 
last drop of our blood, against all foes, internal and external. 

" Short and pithy speeches were made by Major Babbitt, Dr. 
Sprague, Lieutenant Thurber, and others, which would undoubt- 
edly have brought down the house, if we had occupied one, but 
as we were under the 'broad canopy of heaven,' they brought 
down 'all out-doors.' 

" Corporal Stump, during the course of his remarks had frequent 
occasion to 'return to his subject,' which seemed to be contained 
in a pint cup, near by, of standard measurement." 

August nth. First Sergeant Charles F. Phillips, of Company 

B, was promoted to second lieutenant Company B, and William 

C. Chase, second lieutenant Company B, to first lieutenant Com- 
pany B, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 

"August 14th." Corp. O. S. Alers wrote : "A part of Company I 
went over to the quarters of Company F, Capt. Benjamin W, 
Harris, and gave them a serenade, which was greatly appreciated. 

"August 17th. We had a grand review to-day, Capt. Hopkins 
B. Cady, of Company E, acting as colonel, and Lieut. Peter Read, 
of Company I, as adjutant. The battalion showed a great im- 
provement in discipline and drill." 



2 SO 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Ex-Mayor Henty R. Barker. 



Ex-Mayor Henry R. Barker, 
of Providence, was at this time 
one of the youthful sergeants of 
Company I, and was much es- 
teemed by his comrades. Since 
the war he has served in various 
positions of official trust. He 
was a member of the Common 
Council from the Ninth Ward, 
from June 1873 to January 1880, 
and president in 1879; alder- 
man, 1880 to 1883; president 
in 1882; mayor, from 1S89 to 
1 89 1. He has also been Com- 
mander of Slocum Post, No. 10, G. A. R., and Department Com- 
mander of Rhode Island. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Hale resumes: "Having completed one 
term of service, we propose to return to the land of our nativity, 
and make such a display as has never greeted the eyes of the 
quiet dwellers at home. The regiment will be so formed as to 
represent an entire corps d'armce. First : The ambulance wagon, 
drawn by our reliable switch-tailed horse, will represent the cav- 
alry, with the sharpshooters about the wheels and shafts, deployed 
as skirmishers. Next, the mountain howitzer, borne in triumph 
by its captors, will form the light artillery, having the ' stars and 
stripes' floating gloriously from the vent, while the Confederate 
flag is dragged in disgrace from its depressed muzzle. After that 
the main body of the regiment will appear divided into light and 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 28 1 

heavy infantry, dismounted huzzars and chasseurs, and the heavy 
artillery, selected from the most ponderous men of the regiment, 
armed with as many thirty-two and sixty-four pounders as pos- 
sible. Captain Duckworth's Zouaves will close the column, acting 
as the rear-guard, with instructions to close upon the main body 
at the double-quick at the first instruction of danger. 

" We shall bring home few trophies and less scars. We shall 
bear no tattered, shot-rent banners from the bloody field, but 
shall not be entirely destitute of tatters, if we are of banners, and 
feeling that we have done what we have been ordered to do in 
our limited sphere of action, shall not be ashamed to expose our 
bared soles for public inspection." 

August 20th. We have received the following order : 

Headquarters, Defences of Washington, 
Washington. August 20, 1862. 
General Orders AFo. 1. 

I. In virtue of Special Orders No. 196, from the headquarters of the army, 
dated Washington, August 19, 1S62, Brig. -Gen. J. G. Barnard assumes the com- 
mand of the fortifications of Washington and troops assigned to the defences. 

II. The fortifications and troops on the south side of the Potomac will re- 
main under the immediate command of Brig. -Gen. S. W. Whipple: those on 
the north side, under charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Haskin, A. D. C, through 
whom all orders will be transmitted, and to whom commanding officers will 
make their usual reports. 

III. Capt. J. Brice Smith is announced as assistant adjutant-general to this 
command, and Lieut. T. M. Farrel. Fifteenth New York Volunteers, as A. D. C. 
to the General Commanding. 

J. (J. BARNARD, 
Brigadier- General, 
Commanding Defences of Washington. 
36 



282 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

August 2 1 st. A note was received by Colonel Shaw from 
Lieutenant-Colonel Haskin, asking if the regiment would be will- 
ing to be sworn in for an extra term of from two to four weeks, 
until relieved by another regiment. The following is his reply : 

Headquarters Tenth Regiment R. I. Vols., 
Fort Pennsylvania, August 22, 1S62. 

Colonel: Yours of the 21st requesting the regiment to remain two weeks 
or one month after the expiration of their term of service is received, and lias 
been laid before the regiment. I regret to say it has not met their appro- 
bation, although when all the circumstances are considered I am not surprised 
at the result. You will remember that the regiment started from Rhode Island 
at twenty-four-hours' notice, coming simply for the emergency, and expecting 
to be released within a month. Many of them left important business matters, 
and permanent situations, that the}' feel must be attended to. They will have 
staid on the 26th inst. , the longest time as they understood it, when they left 
home, that would possibly be required of them, and have made their arrange- 
ments expecting to be at home at that time. We have many amongst us who 
are expecting positions in the regiments to be sent from our State, and many 
that wish to obtain the large bounties that are now being offered by many of 
the towns. These all wish to go. The epidemic fever which now prevails at 
Fort Pennsylvania has a great influence. Sick men always wish to get home. 
Under these circumstances, I trust you will do the regiment the justice to be- 
lieve that its disinclination to stay is not from any lack of patriotism or desire 
to comply with every wish of the government. So much, we think, was mani- 
fested by the readiness with which they volunteered for what then appeared 
immediate, active service, and the cheerfulness with which they have served 
through the longest time mentioned as the limit of our stay. I trust that our 
reply when thus explained will meet the approbation of General Barnard. 

I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Signed, JAMES SHAW, JR. 

To Col. J. A. Haskin, Colonel Commanding. 

A. D. C. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 283 

"This reply and the action of the regiment I was assured by 
Colonel Haskin was perfectly satisfactory. He did not think the 
regiment should have been called on to stay, and said that had 
General Barnard (who had just assumed the command) under- 
stood the circumstances, as he did, he would not have made the 
request. 

"On the 22d inst., the One Hundredth and Thirteenth New 
York Volunteers arrived and encamped on our old ground of 
'Camp Frieze,' and the next day the following order was issued : 

Headquarters Defences of Washington, 

Washington, August 23, iS6j. 
General Orders No. 2. 

1. Extract. In pursuance of orders from the War Department, all regi- 
ments of three months' volunteers within this command, will he mustered out 
of service at the points where they organized respectively. 

They will be placed en route for the rendezvous, so as to arrive there one or 
two days before the expiration of their time. 

By order of Brigadier-General BARNARD, 
0fficial: Signed, J. B. Smith, 

J. A. Haskin, A. A. G. 

A. D. C. 

"On the 24th of August, the One Hundredth New York Vol- 
unteers took their post at the several forts and batteries, and on 
the 25th we took up our homeward march to Washington." 

" Returning to the peaceful pursuits of life," says our worthy 
and valiant Matthew Bagnet, "We sheathe our sword, hang our 
armor on the wall, and return our ' Bagnet ' to its scabbard, until 
our country again calls us to her defence." 



284 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




/7&<7Z~#-^ 



General-in-Chief. 



1 



During the months of July and 
August, 1862, when the Tenth Rhode 
Island Regiment was quietly holding 
the forts near the capital, an entire 
change had taken place in the military 
situation in Virginia. The retreat of 
General McClellan to the James River, 
July 1 st, and the bitter feelings and 
controversies which it occasioned, led 
General Pope to ask to be relieved from 
the command of the Army of Virginia. 
Instead of granting the request, President Lincoln, who appeared 
to lack confidence in McClellan's ability, decided to appoint Gen. 
Henry W. Halleck, general-in-chief. To bring this about, Gov- 
ernor Sprague, of Rhode Island, was sent July 6th, on a confiden- 
tial mission to Corinth, General Halleck's headquarters. On the 
nth, General Halleck was appointed general-in-chief. General 
Pope favored this course, and united with Secretary Stanton and 
General Scott in advising that McClellan should be superseded 
and Halleck placed in charge of military affairs at Washington. 
Unfortunately General Halleck did not arrive in Washington and 
assume command till July 23d, nearly two weeks after his appoint- 
ment. After looking over the situation in Virginia, he deter- 
mined to withdraw the Army of the Potomac from the James 
river and unite it with the Army of Virginia. General McClellan 
remonstrated in vain. General Halleck replying : " I find the two 
armies hopelessly separated, with the Confederates between, and 
I propose to reunite them." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



285 




Senator Henry B. Anthor 



What proved to be a singularly 
just criticism of the capacity of 
General Halleck appeared in the 
Providence Journal of July 19th, 
just a week after his appointment, „-;^ 
and is doubtless from the pen of 
Senator Anthony, the senior editor, 
and also our accomplished senator. 
He said, "The general impression is 
that the talent of General-in-Chief 
H. W. Halleck is more conspicuous in the council, than in the 
field. Doubtless he has admirable qualities as a military coun- 
cilor.' 1 '' In his subsequent efforts to direct the movements of our 
armies in Virginia, from his office in Washington, he proved no 
match for Lee and Jackson, in the field. Senator Anthony was 
always an honored guest at the headquarers of the Tenth. 

Henry B. Anthony was governor of Rhode Island from 1849 t0 
185 1, and a senator of the United States from March 4, 1859 till 
he died in Providence, September 2, 1884. His eloquent words 
spoken for another, are his own fitting eulogy: "The State that 
he served so faithfully and so well, in the time of her emergency, 
proudly lifts his name and inscribes it on the roll of her honored 
and remembered sons. And the history of that State cannot be 
fairly written without honorable mention of his character and his 
services. The Senate which he informed with wise councils, 
which he adorned with dignity of manners and with purity of life, 
bears equal testimony to his abilities and to his virtues, and equal 
honor to his memory." 



286 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

July 23d. Author's correspondence : " Headquarters Army of 
Virginia, Washington. General Halleck, from the West, arrived 
to-day, and is now general-in-chief of the army. Colonel Ruggles, 
chief of Pope's staff, says that arrangements to leave for 'the 
front,' cannot be completed with General Halleck before Friday, 
25th inst. An important movement is now on foot, General 
Hatch of General Banks corps, is with the advance at Culpeper. 
He has a large cavalry force with orders to move south to Gor- 
donville, destroy the railroad to Lynchburg, and the James river 
canal, if possible, the two sources from which the Confederates, 
at Richmond, receive their supplies. General Pope says if Hatch 
is successful, the President will make him a major-general, and 
that the evacuation of Richmond must follow. 

" Charles Wildman and myself (Tenth R. I. Vols.), have been 
summoned before General Pope to answer a charge of appropriating 
his fancy cigars. You know we sleep at the office. Pope is very 
violent and profane at times. This was one of his times. We 
finally got in a sockdolloger by proving that we didn't smoke. 
Now Gen. Samuel P. Sturgis is the cigar forager. We have seen 
him walk in to the office, step up to the mantel, and take a good 
handful at a time, — but we thought that was his business — if he 
could forage without being caught. 

"July 24th. All quiet on the Potomac. I had my bunk last 
night on top of an old shoe-case. I got to dreaming, and rolled 
off on the floor. I jumped up quickly, thinking we were attacked, 
but found it was only a 'change of base.' 

"July 25th. General Pope is becoming vexed and impatient at 
the continued delays. His letters and dispatches are harder than 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



287 




Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of Slate. 



ever to make out. In a message to 

President Lincoln, he says : ' I am 

becoming anxious and uneasy to join 

my command in the field.' Generals 

Burnside and McDowell called at 

headquarters to-day. Officers in gold 

lace and gilt buttons are thick here. 

There are brigadier-generals enough 

on Pennsylvania Avenue, if not at 

'the front.' I met Hon. William H. 

Seward, to-day, Secretary of State, 

out for a walk. It was Mr. Seward, 

who, at the opening of the war, spoke of the antagonism between 

slavery and freedom as an 'irrepressible conflict.' 

"A cavalry expedition recently went within thirty-five miles 
of Richmond, to Beaver Dam Creek Station, tearing up the 
railroad, destroying the depot, and taking a Confederate officer 
and three privates, prisoners. Well, these prisoners were at 
'headquarters' to-day, for examination. We had quite a talk 
with them when the officers got through. They were a rough 
looking crowd, no two dressed alike. The stuff their clothes 
were made of, looked just exactly like that old bagging up 
in the attic. Were they scared? Not any, I can tell you; nor 
would they give a particle of information to anybody. They 
wanted to know how quick they could be exchanged, as they 
wanted to get right back to the Confederacy. One of them, an 
adjutant of the First Virginia Cavalry, said to me, 'You uns will 
find it will take the North a right smart while to whip the South.' 



288 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

General Hatch's great cavalry expedition to Gordonville was a 
failure. It is claimed that Hatch didn't obey orders, and Pope 
has relieved him from command. But other officers say that the 
trouble was that Stonewall Jackson got there first, with fifteen 
thousand of his foot cavalry. 

"July 26th. The President has issued an order communicating 
information of the death of Ex-President Martin Van Buren. As 
a mark of respect for his memory, the Executive Mansion and 
the several Departments, except of the Army and Navy, will be 
placed in mourning, and all business will be suspended, to-day, 
during the funeral. By order of the Secretary of War, suitable 
military and naval honors will be paid to the memory of the illus- 
trious dead. The national flag will be displayed at half staff, the 
troops paraded, the orders read to them, and minute guns will be 
fired. The following order has been issued here : 

" Headquarters, Army of Virginia, 

Washington, July 25, 1S62. 
To Brigadier-Goicral Sturgis : 

The Secretary of War directs by an order received at these headquarters that 

the preceding orders of the President and Secretary of War be carried into effect 

to-morrow, by the troops in this district. 

Signed, GEORGE D. RUGGLES. 

Colo?icl and Chief of Staff. 

" Later, July 26th. Pennsylvania Avenue Hotel, near George- 
town (a small family hotel). I am confined to my bed with 
a severe attack of malaria. But I am in good hands. The head- 
quarters' surgeon is looking after me, and a lady stopping here is 
very kind, who says I remind her of an absent brother. It was 
fortunate for me that I wasn't sent to a hospital." 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 289 

"At this time the city was full of sick and wounded soldiers, and 
more were arriving daily from the Peninsula. Many private build- 
ings and public halls were taken for their accommodation, — where 
they could receive better care and treatment. Hundreds of 
the loyal women of the North came to Washington to minister 
to the sick soldiers, and many a poor man lives to be grateful to 
them for their cooling drinks and cheering words. Their devo- 
tion touched Mr. Lincoln's heart, and in a speech which he made 
about this time at the close of a soldiers' fair, he said : 'I am not 
accustomed to the language of eulogy ; I have never studied the 
art of paying compliments to women, but I must say, that if all 
that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the 
world in praise of woman were applied to the women of America, 
it would not do them justice for their conduct during this war. 
God bless the women of America ! ' Much good was accom- 
plished also, by those who remained at home, in corresponding with 
the sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals. In addition to many 
home comforts furnished, the sweet influences of home were con- 
tinued and cherished, by many kindly messages of advice and 
encouragement. Here are a few which have been preserved : 

" ' Dear Soldiers. The little girls of send this box to 

you. They hear that many of you are sick, and some of you have 

been wounded in battle. They are very sorry, and want to do 

something for you. They cannot do much, for they are small ; 

but they have bought with their own money, and made what is in 

here. They hope it will do some good, and that you will all get 

well, and come home. We all pray to God for you night and 

morning.' 
37 



29O THE TENTH REGIMENT 

" In another case, on a pillow was pinned the following note : 

" ' My dear friend. You are not my husband or son ; but you 
are the husband or son of some woman who undoubtedly loves 
you as I love mine. I have made these garments for you with a 
heart that aches for your sufferings, and with a longing to come 
to you, to assist in taking care of you. It is a great comfort to 
me, that God loves and pities you, pining and lonely in a far off 
hospital, and if you believe in God, it will also be a comfort to 
you. Are you near death, and soon to cross the dark river ? Oh, 
then, may God soothe your last hours, and lead you up "the 
shining shore," where there is no war, no sickness, no death. 
Call on Him, for He is an ever present helper.' 

"'Dear soldier. If these socks had language they would tell 
you that many a kind wish has been knit into them, and many a 
tear of pity for you has bedewed them. YVe all think of you, and 
want to do everything we can for vou, for we feel that we owe 
you unlimited love and gratitude, and that you deserve the very 
best at our hands.' 

" Here is another of a different character : 

"'My dear boy. I have knit these socks expressly for you. 
How do you like them ? How do you look, and where do you live 
when you are at home ? / am nineteen years old, of medium 
height, of slight build, with blue eyes, fair complexion, light hair, 
and a good deal of it. Write and tell me all about yourself, and 
how you get on in the hospital. Direct to . 

" ' P. S. — If the recipient of these socks has a wife, will he please 
exchange with some poor fellow, who is not so fortunate ? ' 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 29 I 

" 'My brave friend. I have learned to knit, on purpose to knit 

socks for the soldiers. This is my fourth pair. My name is , 

and I live in . Write to me, and tell me how you like the 

foot-gear, and what we can do for you. Keep up your courage, 
and bye and bye you will come home to us. Won't that be a grand 
time, though ? And won't we all turn out to meet you, with 
flowers and music, and cheers, and embraces? "There's a good 
time coming, boys!" 

"Very many of these notes were answered by the soldiers who 
received them, and a correspondence ensued, which sometimes 
ended in life-long friendship. 

"A nicely made dressing gown, in one of the boxes, had one 
pocket filled with hickory nuts, and the other with ginger-snaps. 
The pockets were sewed across to prevent the contents from 
dropping out, and the following note was pinned on the outside : 

" 'My dear fellow : Just take your ease in this dressing-gown. 
Don't mope, and have the blues, if you are sick. Moping never 
cured anybody yet. Eat your nuts and cakes if you are well 
enough, and snap your fingers at dull care. I wish I could do 
more for you, and if I were a man I would come and fight with 
you. Woman though I am, I'd like to help hang Jeff Davis 
higher than Haman, — yes, and all who aid and abet him, too, 
whether North or South ! ' 

"There was exhumed from the depths of one great box, a 
bushel of cookies tied in a pillow-case, with this benevolent wish 
tacked on the outside : ' These cookies are expressly for the sick 
soldiers, and if anybody else eats them, I hope they will choke him ! ' 



292 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

"A very neatly arranged package, of second-hand clothing, but 
little worn, was laid by itself. Every article was superior in qual- 
ity, and in manufacture. Attached to it was the following card : 

" 'The accompanying articles were worn for the last time by 
one very dear to the writer, who lost his life at Shiloh. They are 
sent to our wounded soldiers as the most fitting disposition that 
can be made of them, by one who has laid the husband of her 
youth — her all — on the altar of her country.' 

"Thus we can realize the passionate interest in the soldiers, 
felt by the women of the North. They toiled, retrenched, econ- 
omized, to furnish the necessary supplies for the hospitals, and 
hallowed them with their patriotic and religious spirit. Like 
their grandmothers of the Revolution, they flung heart and soul 
into the labor of willing hands. 

" Here are a few of the directions on boxes for the hospitals : 

"'For the love of God, give these articles to the sick and 
wounded to whom they are sent ! ' 

" ' He that would steal from a sick or wounded man, would rob 
hen-roosts, or filch pennies from the eyes of a corpse ! ' 

" ' Surgeons and nurses ! Hands off ! These things are not for 
you, but your patients, — our sick and wounded boys ! ' 

" ' Don't gobble up these delicacies, nurses ! They are for the 
boys in the hospitals ! ' 

" We close these sketches with a scene at the Washington 
barracks : 

" 'A pale and sick, but good looking soldier, ready for transpor- 
tation, and an anxious young lady nurse, in search of a subject : 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 293 

"Lady nurse. — 'My poor fellow, can I do anything for you ? ' 

" Soldier (emphatically). — ' No, ma'am ! Nothin' ! ' 

" Lady nurse. — ' I should like to do something for you ? Shall 

I not sponge your face and brow for you ? ' 

" Soldier (despairingly). — 'You may if you want to, very bad ! 

but you'll be the fourteenth lady as has done it this blessed 

mornin' ! ' " 

Author's correspondence at "Headquarters" resumed : 

"July 28th. Before General Pope left Washington, to join his 
army in the field, at Warrenton, Va., General Halleck announced 
his purpose to withdraw the Army of the Potomac, from the 
James, and unite it with the Army of Virginia, via Fredericks- 
burg ; that army (under Pope), to advance promptly to the Rapidan, 
keeping the approaches to Washington covered, and oppose and 
delay any advance of the enemy northward to the last extremity. 
On the next day (the 30th), General Halleck ordered General 
McClellan to send away his sick, and on the 3d of August he 
telegraphed, ' It is determined to withdraw your army from the 
Peninsula to Aquia Creek.' General McClellan again protested 
against this movement, as did Generals Dix, Burnside, and Sumner. 
General Halleck replied : ' There is no alternative, I have taken 
the responsibility.' The movement began at once. Between the 
1st of August and the 16th, 14,159 sick and wounded soldiers 
were sent away, many of them necessarily to the North. The 
first troops arrived at Aquia Creek within seven days, and the 
last of the infantry within twenty-six days after the receipt of the 
order. 



294 TIIE TENTH REGIMENT 

"On the other hand, to meet the advance of Pope, Stonewall 
Jackson with his own and Ewell's division, was at Gordonsville. 
General Lee says in his official report : ' The army at Harrison's 
Landing (McClellan's), continuing to manifest no intention of 
resuming active operations, and General Pope's advance having 
reached the Rapidan, Gen. A. P. Hill's division was ordered on 
July 27th to join General Jackson, as it seemed that the most 
effectual way to relieve Richmond was to advance upon General 
Pope.' This was promptly done, and as soon as General Lee 
became aware of the movement withdrawing the Army of the 
Potomac from the Peninsula, he turned his whole army north- 
ward, choosing between the danger of losing Richmond, the crush- 
ing of Pope's army and the capture of Washington." 

"July 30th." Author resumes: "Headquarters Army of 
Virginia, in the Field, Warrenton, Va. We arrived here yester- 
day afternoon. I was hardly fit to come, being still weak from 
an attack of malaria ; but when I found that headquarters were 
really off, I insisted on going, also. So, here I am, in Warrenton, 
right side up, I guess, only a little the worse for wear. It took 
us about two hours to get here, via Alexandria, Manassas and 
Catlett's Station. The road was very rough, and the cars were 
rickety. Headquarters are established at the Young Ladies' 
Seminary, a large brick building, pleasantly located. Our office 
is in the main school-room, and we now occupy the school desks. 
I hardly expected to attend school 'down in old Virginny! ' As 
everything here is contraband of war, we went through the desks 
this morning, in search of information for General Pope, and suc- 
ceeded in capturing quite a quantity of female correspondences. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



295 




The Author at 17, "at Headquarters,' 
in Warrenton, Va. 



The young ladies of this school appear 
to be in a very rebellious state of mind, 
judging from these little rebel billet 
doux, fancifully folded, three cornered 
and otherwise, they were evidently in- 
tended for parting gifts, when the school 
broke up in a hurry. One young lady, 
after enlarging on her music lessons, 
and a recent serenade, adds: 'I hope 
the Yankees won't get my letter ! ' 
Another, addressed to 'My Dear Eloise,' 
is more pathetic, and expresses a sort of melancholy foreboding. 
She says: 'That was a very sad accident, was it not, which 
befell our beloved General Ashby ? It does seem as though all 
our distinguishd men were being taken ! Oh ! if we could only 
have piece once more, how delightful it would be ! ' (The loss 
of General Ashby was greatly mourned in the South. He was 
one of the leading cavalry commanders of Stonewall Jackson's 
army, and was killed in the battle of Cross Keys, Va., June 6th.) 
Another letter captured by my comrade Charles Wildman, of the 
Tenth, was signed, Hattie P. Beauregard, Corinth, Miss. He was 
very choice of it, pretending to believe that it had come direct 
from General Beauregard's headquarters, and was probably the 
production of one of his fair daughters. They all indicated a 
scarcity of envelopes, being directed like the inclosed on coarse 
brown paper wrappers. Probably home communication will be 
more difficult from here than from Washington. I don't suppose 
that we will remain here long, as General Pope means to push on. 



296 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 



" The Confederate prints indicate the spirit of the Southern 
women : ' Messrs. Editors, I see that General Beauregard has 
called for bells, to be manufactured into cannon. I send mine as 
a beginning.' Another says, ' I send you the weight which was 
attached to the striking part of our clock, with the hope that 
everv woman in the Confederacy will do likewise.' 

" The members of one of the regiments stationed here have 
'good mouths for music' Here is their programme for to-morrow 
night : 

NINTH NEW YORK REGIMENT SOCIAL UNION, 
Warrent.on Hotel, Thursday Evening, July 31, 1S62. 



PROGRAMME. 



Part First. 



Grand March : " Norma," 

Old Musketeer, 

Ballad, 

Comic Song, 

Recitation, 

Ballad, 

Virginia Rose Bud, 



Storm Galop, 

Happy Dreams, 

Recitation ; " Lady of Lyons," 

Comic Song, 

Ballad; " Miller's Song," . 

Duett: "Larboard Watch," 

Fairy Bell, chorus, 

Limerick Races, 



Part Second 



Band. 

Graham & Co. 

Lodes. 

Barnes. 

Howard. 

Joyce. 

Graham & Co. 



Band. 

Atkinson. 

Lieutenant Hubbard. 

Adjutant Tuthill. 

Graham. 

Atkinson and Graham. 

Thompson & Co. 

Atkinson & Co. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 297 

"Warrenton is a pleasant Virginia town. It is at the ter- 
minus of the Warrenton branch of the Orange and Alexandria 
Railroad, and nine miles from Warrenton junction. It appears to 
be a place of considerable importance, and before the war had a 
population of about eight thousand. Most of the men are in the 
Confederate service, the once celebrated Black Horse Cavalry 
having been principally recruited in this vicinity. The people 
remaining are entirely secesh, and several of our men have been 
shot at from the windows. The churches are occupied for hos- 
pital purposes. The streets are bordered with fine shade trees. 
Near by is the former elegant residence of the Confederate 
general, Gustavus W. Smith. 

"August 2d. Great numbers of our troops are constantly 
passing here for Culpeper Court House, and the roads are liter- 
ally blocked." As we watched them they appeared more like an 
army of boys on a holiday excursion than soldiers who within a 
brief week would be tried in the fierce encounter at Cedar 
Mountain. Yet the official record shows that the younger men 
stood the test of marching and fighting far better than the older 
comrades. The Union Army was made up mainly of very young 
men. It averaged a little under twenty-two years of age, The 
" walk-soldiers," as the cavalrymen called them, looked with envious 
eyes upon the officers, booted and spurred, as they galloped gayly 
ahead with their clinking sabres, and many a foot-soldier, like 
our own worthy Gen. Horatio Rogers, won his horse and spurs 
by faithful and gallant service. General Rogers's motto when a 
foot-soldier, with which he earned his way to deserved promotion, 
was "a horse or a hearse." 

38 



298 THE TENTH REGIMENT 

"August 2d, later. Headquarters are ordered to Sperryville 
to-day, and by advice of the surgeon, I have been ordered back to 
Washington for proper care and treatment. The fact is that 
hard fare, hard travelling, and hard work, has brought about a 
slight relapse of fever." It was a bitter disappointment, I remem- 
ber, to be left behind, and witness the gay departure of officers 
and comrades, as they rode rapidly away towards Sperryville ; but 
subsequent events proved it to be a kind Providence which inter- 
posed in my behalf. From that day General Pope's headquarters 
were chiefly in the saddle, "somewhere on the Warrenton road." 
His advance, under General Banks, met the enemy under Stone- 
wall Jackson, August 9th, at Cedar Mountain, and although re- 
pulsed with heavy loss, he succeeded in maintaining his position, 
until the main army, under Pope, arrived, when an advance was 
made to the Rapidan River, the movement being to delay and 
retard the advance of the enemy, until Pope's army could be rein- 
forced from the Peninsula. Soon after the Union army fell back 
slowly from one position to another towards Washington, Pope suc- 
cessfully delaying his assailants, but unable to hold them in check. 
Daring and successful raids were made on his train on the night 
of August 22d, by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, at Catlett's Station, 
thirty-eight miles from Washington, and by Stonewall Jackson, 
August 24th, at Manassas, twenty-seven miles from Washington, 
which caused him to fall back more rapidly. The Federal army 
fought bravely and suffered severely a second time at Bull Run, 
on the 30th of August, but by stubbornly disputing the way, Gen- 
eral Pope had gained time for McClellan's army to reach the 
scene of action, and thus Washington was saved. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



■99 




Picketing the Rapidan. 



On the evening of August 2d, my 
comrade of the "Tenth" and at " Head- 
quarters," C. H. Wildman, wrote me 
from Little Washington, Va. : "We are 
now encamped in a fine place in the 
woods. We have wall-tents, and only 
three in a tent. We shall fare well, 
and have a colored cook from the cav- 
alry. By orders just issued we expect 
to come in contact with old Stonewall 
Jackson very soon." Again on the ioth, he wrote me from head- 
quarters, at Culpeper, Va. : "We started from our camp at or 
near Little Washington, on Thursdav morning. We encamped 
that evening about seven miles from Sperryville, by the side of 
a wood. That evening one of General Banks's men, was out in 
the woods, looking round, when a party of guerillas appeared and 
shot him. General Pope sent out a company of cavalry, but did 
not find them. We arrived at Culpeper yesterday morning, and 
went about a mile from the town, and stopped at a house, on a 
large farm. Of course you remember General Pope's address : 
' We, in the West, have always seen the backs of our enemies ! 
Let us look before, and not behind us ! No modes of retreat, etc' 
But I notice, though, that we retreated yesterday on the double- 
quick, without stopping to look behind us ! Old Stonewall was 
within three and a half miles of headquarters yesterday, and I 
tell you we just pulled up stakes and travelled for Culpeper hum- 
ming. We went away out of the town, and had just got things 
into shape, and tents up, when troop after troop of cavalry came 



^oo 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 







down the road 
pell-mell, till in 
a few minutes it 
was completely 
- blocked with 
*- them. Come to 
|j. find out, Jack- 
V son had crossed 
the Rapidan in 
1 force and driven 
our pickets, and 
we, having cav- 
alry only, and 
he plenty of ar- 

General Pope's Headquarters at Cedar Mountain. tlllei'V W6 Were 

obliged to retire in a hurry. On the way back, we met the bri- 
gades going out. They appeared full of fight, and some were 
singing and others laughing at each other's jokes. There are 
between twenty and thirty thousand of our troops." 

August 1 6th, from headquarters near Cedar Mountain, he 
wrote: "On Saturday afternoon, August 9th, the ball opened 
here. It was a terrific encounter. General Banks bravely held 
his ground against vastly superior force of the rebels. Our loss 
was over fifteen hundred, killed, wounded and missing. General 
Pope and staff arrived on the field about seven p. m. They would 
not let the clerks go, but I could not see it in that light, and 
went out in the evening with the surgeons. I shall never forget 
that night. There were hundreds of killed and wounded men. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 30 1 

The battle was over, but an artillery fire was kept up till mid- 
night. I went out again on Tuesday, 12th instant, and saw the 
old devils, just as the last of them skedaddled for the Rapidan. 
I came near getting my old head knocked off, too. I tell you 
that was quite a little fight (Cedar Mountain, 9th instant). Col- 
onel Ruggles, Chief of Staff, had a horse shot under him. Colonel 
Morgan, who signed your last pass, got a bullet through his hat, 
and, in fact, Pope and the whole staff came near being captured. 
We shall move forward again to-morrow, to the Rapidan, to join 
the advance. Our pickets watch that river from Raccoon's Ford 
to the base of the Blue Ridge. We now have a colored cook, and 
have ordered cooking utensils forwarded here from Washington." 
But on that very day August 16th, a party of Confederate cav- 
alry was captured, with orders from General Lee, which disclosed 
the plan that he was moving northward, by forced marches, with 
the main Army of Richmond, to attack Pope's little army with 
overwhelming force before he could be reinforced by the troops 
from the Peninsula. In consequence of this information, General 
Pope hastily broke up his camps on the Rapidan and on the 1 8th 
and 19th, retired to a new position behind the north branch of the 
Rappahannock, in the hope that by holding the fords, sufficient 
time would be gained for the Army of the Potomac to come to 
his relief. But Lee and Jackson had pressed forward with such 
vigor, that General Halleck soon found, when it was too late, that 
the line of the Rappahannock was too far forward for the union 
of Pope's and McClellan's armies. The troops which had not 
been landed were conveyed to Alexandria, and assembled in time 
to assure the safety of the capital. 



^02 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




Ca- ett's S:a:on in 1862. 



On August 22d, 
when General 
Pope was watch- 
ing the line of 
the Rappahan- 
nock, Gen. J. E. 
B. Stuart, the 
noted Confed- 
erate cavalry 
leader, made a 
daring raid in 
his rear, with 

fifteen hundred horsemen, to interrupt his railroad communica- 
tions with Washington. Stuart crossed the Rappahannock at 
Waterloo Bridge, and marching rapidly via Warrenton, arrived 
at Catlett's Station, General Pope's camp, after dark. My com- 
rade, Wildman, of the Tenth, says : " The rain poured in torrents, 
and the sudden attack at midnight was a complete surprise. 
Everyone at headquarters was startled from sleep by the firing of 
volley after volley in their midst, and all started up in the dark- 
ness, in the endeavor to find a place of safety, 'I escaped,' " he 
said, "but had a hard tramp through the mud, rain, and darkness, 
— but I am thankful to get off alive.'' Fortunately for the author, 
his brief leave of absence from headquarters, to recover his health, 
was perhaps the means of saving his life, as he could hardly have 
withstood, in his physical condition, the perils and exposures of 
that night attack. Stuart and his horsemen remained, gathering 
up the spoils till a little before daylight, when they departed 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



3^3 



southward, via Warrenton Springs. They carried off about two 
hundred horses, General Pope's uniform, baggage, and important 
dispatches, several of his clerks and staff officers, and about two 
hundred prisoners. A few were killed on both sides. All the 
sick men were taken from the hospitals, and many of them were 
put on the Confederate horses to ride. All this happened in the 
rear of General Pope's army, within thirty-five miles of Washing- 
ton, on the night of August 22d. 

Encouraged by the success of Stuart's raid, Stonewall Jackson 
with his own and Early's division, started a day or two later, 
made a grand circuit to Pope's right, through Thoroughfare Gap, 
and on the night of the 25th, struck the Orange and Alexandria 
Railroad, at Manassas Junction, capturing an immense quantity 
of army supplies. This movement caused Pope to abandon the 
line of the Rappahannock and his communication with Fredericks- 
burg, and concentrate his whole army in the neighborhood of War- 
renton and Gainesville, to reopen the railroad to Washington, and, 
if possible, crush Jackson. But Longstreet succeeded in making 
a junction with Jackson via Thoroughfare Gap, on the morning 
of August 29th, on the same field on which the first battle of 
Bull Run was fought in 1861. Then followed the second battle 
of Bull Run. The Union army fought bravely, and General Pope 
showed his usual energy, but on the following day, the 30th, the 
Confederates succeeded in driving his army across Bull Run to 
Centreville, from which they retired in good order to the defences 
of Washington, but General Pope had succeeded in gaining time 
for the Army of the Potomac, to assemble for the defence of 
Wash in £ft on. 



>04 



THE TENTH REGIMENT 




One of the officers of General 
Pope's staff, in the campaign of 
July and August, 1862 (who has 
since won a national reputation as 
a civil engineer), was Washington 
Augustus Roebling. Under his 
direction a suspension bridge was 
constructed across the Rappahan- 
nock River, early in 1862, and later 
another across the Shenandoah, at 
Harper's Ferry. He served till 
January, 1865. His greatest work 
is the building of the Brooklyn sus- 
pension bridge, which was begun 
in 1S69, and completed in 1883. 
This structure, built by him, is the largest suspension bridge in 
the world, and cost about $13,000,000. The picture shows it 
incomplete, as it was in ] S77, when the writer crossed it by the 
picket foot-path attached to the cables suspended from the tops of 
the towers. Its total length, including approaches, is about 6,000 
feet, or one and one-eighth miles. 

Charles H. Wildman, of the Tenth Rhode Island, from General 
Pope's headquarters, rejoined the regiment at Washington, August 
25th. As he told the story of the night attack and escape at 
Catlett's Station, on the night of the 22d, he became the centre of 
interest. He agreed that the order for " cooking utensils for Cedar 
Mountain," might safely be countermanded, and was glad to let 
General Pope's "line of retreat " take care of itself. 



Brooklyn Suspension Bridge. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 305 

We regret to record the death of Private Mathew M. Meggett, 
of Company B, who died of typhoid fever, in the hospital, at Fort 
Pennsylvania, August 18th. He was a young man greatly he- 
loved by his companions, and was a student of Brown University. 
A sketch of his life is given on page 30. 

The Tenth Regiment and Battery arrived home, via Baltimore, 
Harrisburg, and Elizabethport, N. J., on the morning of August 
28th, and was received with a national salute, and escorted by 
the Marine Artillery and the First Ward Light Guards, led by 
the American Band, to Exchange Place, where it was dismissed 
to the several armories to receive the hospitalities and congratu- 
lations of its friends. 

The Providence Journal of the j 8th thus welcomed its return : 

The Tenth Regiment and Battery, which have completed their term of ser- 
vice, sailed from New York vesterday, at one o'clock, in the steamer />'<m' State, 
which probably anchored in the bay during the night. 

The gallant fellows will come up as soon as the tide allows, and several of 
the companies will have special receptions by the companies of the National 
Guards, to which they respectivel v belonged. And all will be most cordially 
welcomed home by their friends and neighbors. These brave men went off on 
the shortest notice, at the time that Washington was supposed to be in danger, 
after Banks's retreat down the Shenandoah Valley. They went in the closing 
days of May. It has so happened that they have not been called into active 
service on the battlefield. But they went prepared and expecting to meet the 
foe. It was not their fault that they did not meet him. They have been en- 
gaged most of the time in most exhausting labors. They have been construct- 
ing, altering or strengthening forts, and have performed the most wearying 
tasks. They have discharged their duties with credit to themselves, and to their 
state. We rejoice that we can now take them by the hand and hid them a 
hearty Welcome Home! 

39 



306 the tenth regiment 

September ist. The several companies of the Tenth Regiment 

were mustered out of service and paid off this morning. The 

following farewell order from Colonel Shaw was read to the 

companies : 

Headquarters Tenth R. I. Vols., 

Providence, September i, 1S62. 
Special Order Xo. 48. 

The term for which this regiment was called into the service of the United 
States has now expired, and the Colonel Commanding takes this opportunity 
to return to each and every officer, and every man of his command, his thanks 
for the courtesy and kindness that have marked their intercourse. 

Suddenly called from the quiet pursuits of private life to the hardships and 
dangers of the camp, you have vindicated the character of the National Guard 
of Rhode Island, and shown that the citizen soldier can be depended upon when 
the country is in danger. The dispatch of the Secretary of War to our Gover- 
nor, saying that General Banks was completely routed, and that the enemy was 
advancing on Washington, reached this city at midnight. At nine o'clock the 
next morning, you were called on to assemble and to volunteer for the defence 
of the Capital. At 7.30 o'clock the same evening, your Commandant had the 
honor of presenting six hundred and thirteen names to the Governor, as ready 
to respond to his call: within thirty hours from the first call, you were armed, 
equipped, and ready to proceed to Washington, with every expectation of imme- 
diate active service. 

Starting from home in the midst of a pouring rain, crowded in the cars on 
your long and tedious journey, packed in the barracks at Washington, march- 
ing to Tennallytown under a burning sun, then drenched and chilled by the 
heavy rain that greeted your arrival in camp: these, with the cold and stormy 
weather of the next three weeks, were experiences to try even older soldiers. 

Breaking camp on the morning of the 25th of June, you marched to Fairfax 
Seminary, eighteen miles, in six and a half hours, with every man in his place 
in the ranks. Three days after, while yet foot-sore and weary from your last 
march, you were ordered to return and garrison the fort near your old camp. 
Arriving there at two o'clock the next morning, after working and marching 
for twenty-two hours, you came into jour cheerless bivouac with a cheerful 
song. Well did our Colonel say, "A better regiment I never saw." Separated 
from each other, with so many batteries and forts to garrison, your duties were 
necessarily more numerous and severe, while the extra work at Battery Ver- 
mont, was well calculated to tax your patience to the utmost. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



307 



A kind Providence has spared you from the dangers of the battlefield, but 
judging from the manner in which every other duty was performed, the call for 
battle should have met with a ready response. 

Sickness has visited your camp, and three of your members have been taken 
away from you bv death, leaving the legacv of a bright example of soldierly 
faithfulness, to a regiment that will ever cherish their memory. 

Of the character and conduct of the regiment, your Commandant could not 
speak in too high praise. It has been all that could be asked, and the guard- 
house has been almost a useless institution. And, now, as you close your 
labors, you can carry with you the consciousness of having faithfully performed 
every duty, and \ou will receive, as you deserve, the thanks of jour fellow- 
citizens. 

Bv order. 

JAMES SHAW, JR., 

John F. Tobey, Coloiii-l Commanding. 

Adjutant. 




Mustered Out. 



3oS 



THE TENTH REGIMENT. 



The portrait of Lieutenant- 
Colonel Hale, has just been 
received. He was the captain 
of Company I, until August 
nth, when he was promoted 
to lieutenant - colonel. He 
was an ideal officer, and the 
author of the interesting let- 
ters in the Evening Press, 
from the Tenth Regiment, 
signed Mathew Bagnet. 

The fine view of Fort Alex- 
ander, on the opposite page, 
will be appreciated by the 
members of Companies E 
and I, of the " Bloody " Tenth Rhode Island, as it was christened 
in 1862. It was reproduced from a larger sketch furnished by 
Hon. Henry R. Barker, formerly a sergeant of Company I. 

Some of the more familiar bugle-calls will touch responsive 
chords in the memory of the old comrades : 




Lieut.-Col. William M. Hale. 



The Reveille. 



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II 



TENTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS 



FIELD AND STAFF. 



Colonels — Zenas R. Bliss, James Shaw, Jr. 
Lieutenant-Colonels — James Shaw, Jr., William M. Hale. 
Majors — C. H. Merriman (Acting), Jacob T. Babbitt. 
Surgeon — George D. Wilcox. 
Assistant-Surgeon — Albert G. Sprague. 
Chaplain — A. Huntington Clapp. 

Adjutants — B. F. Thurston (Acting), John F. Tobey. 
Quartermasters — James H. Armington, Winthrop DeWolf, 

Charles W. Angell. 
Sergeant- A lajors — John F. Tobey (Acting), Edward K. Glezen. 
Quarter master- Sergeant — Lysander Flagg. 
Hospital Steward — Charles G. King. 
Commissary-Sergeant — James O. Swan. 



COMPANY OFFICERS. 



COMPANY A. 

Capt. William E. Taber, ist Lt. Joseph L. Bennett. Jr., 

2d Lt. Leander C. Belcher. 

COMPANY B. 
Capt. Elisha Dyer, 
i st Lt. Samuel H. Thomas, 2d Lt. William C. Chase, 

" William C. Chase, " Charles F. Phillips. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 315 

COMPANY ('. 

Capt. Jeremiah M. Vose, 1st Lt. John E. Bradford, 

2d Lt. Caleb B. Harrington. 

COMPANY 1). 

Capt. Charles H. Dunham (Acting). Capt. William S. Smith, 

1st Lt. James H. Armington, 2d Lt. Winthrop DeWolf, 

" Winthrop DeWolf, " Charles W. Angell. 

COMPANY E. 

Capt. Hopkins B. Cady, 1st Lt. Stephen Thurber, 

2d Lt. Moses ( ). I )arling. 

COMPANY F. 

Capt. Benjamin W. Harris, 1st Lt. Orville P. Jones, 

2d Lt. George W. Fairbanks. 

COMPANY G. 

Capt. A. Craweurp Greene, 1st Lt. James H. Allen. 

2d Lt. Eben Burlingame. 

COMPANY H. 

Capt. Christopher Duckworth, 1st Lt. Nicholas P. Bolles, 

2d Lt. William H. Mason. 

COMPANY I. 

Capt. William M. Hale, 1st Lt. Charles H. Mumford, 

" Samuel H. Thomas, 2d Lt. Peter Alexander Reid. 

COMPANY K. 
Capt. G. Frank Low. 1st Lt. John P. Tobey, 

20! Lt. William O. Pettis. 
COMPANY L. 

Tenth Light Battery Rhode Island Volunteers. 



THE OLD COFFEE KETTLE. 



( Tune: " The Old Oaken Bucket," or " Araby's Daughter.") 
Note.— In singing- these ten line verses to the printed music, sing twrce the notes in second 
line [or bar) of music before D. C. or return to beginning lor the music for last two lines ol 
each verse. 








H 



OW dear to our hearts are the days when we soldiered, 

As fond recollection presents them to view; 
The long line of earthworks, the deep tangled thicket, 

And every rough spot that our army life knew, 
The long parks of artillery, with harness and saddle, 

The picket roped horses oft trying to roll ; 
The cook-house, the guard tent and the muskets stacked nigh it, 

And the old Coffee Kettle that hung on a pole; 
That old Coffee Kettle, that welcome old kettle, 

The old Coffee Kettle that hung on a pole. 

How dear to this day are the forms and the faces, 

Of those who stood with us in those trying times; 
So many are gone from their ranks and their places, 

It mightily shortens the original lines; 
Hard camping and marching we all well remember, 

And everything trying to body and soul ; 
Yet one thing we had that was genuine pleasure, 

'Twas the old Coffee Kettle that hung on a pole, 
That old Coffee Kettle, that welcome old kettle, 

The old Coffee Kettle that hung on a pole. 



Tenth Light Battery 



R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 







T 



HE Tenth Battery Rhode 
Island Volunteers was raised 
simultaneously with the 
Ninth and Tenth regiments of 
infantry, for three months' service 
in Washington. It was mainly 
recruited from the Providence 
Marine Corps of Artillery, under 
the supervision of Col. Edwin C. 
Gallup, and other officers of this 
organization, who went into service as officers of the Tenth Bat- 
tery, taking position as they stood in the home organization, as 
follows : Captain, Edwin C. Gallup ; Senior First Lieutenant, 
Samuel A. Pearce, Jr. ; Second Senior Lieutenant, Amos D. 
Smith, Jr.; Junior First Lieutenant, Frank A. Rhodes; Junior 
Second Lieutenant, Henry Pearce. 

On the 24th of May, 1862, Governor Sprague received a dis- 
patch from the Secretary of War, announcing that the little army 
under command of Gen. N. P. Banks had been routed, that the 



,i8 



THE TENTH LIGHT BATTERY 




Capt. Edwin C. Gallup. 



enemy were advancing on Washington, 
and calling upon the Governor to send all 
his available militia to the defence of the 
capital. 

Under special orders from the adjutant- 
general's office of Rhode Island, Colonel 
Gallup was directed to organize a com- 
pany of artillery, and assisted by his fel- 
low officers, he immediately commenced 
the formation of the Tenth Battery. 
On the 29th of May, Lieut. Samuel A. Pearce, Jr., started for 
Washington with a detachment of ninety men and three officers. 
Lieutenants Frank A. Rhodes and Amos D. Smith, Jr., went 
with this detachment, which arrived in Washington on Sunday 
morning, May 31st, and reported to Governor Sprague, who had 
preceded his troops to the capital. 

The detachment of the battery was immediately ordered to 
Tennallytown, a village seven miles from Washington, where it 
arrived at noon and reported to Col. Charles T. Robbins, of the 
Ninth Rhode Island Infantry. The detachment was received 
with cheers from the Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island Regiments. 
The first camp was located at the right of and in front of the 
Tenth Regiment and was called Camp Frieze. 

The arrival of the detachment was unexpected and no provision 
had been made for the men by the quartermaster and commis- 
sary departments, but through the energy and obliging disposi- 
tion of Quartermaster George Lewis Cooke all were soon made 
comfortable. Colonel Robbins was particularly attentive and 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 319 

furnished the men with cooked rations from his regimental stores. 
Sunday afternoon was occupied in pitching tents and in other 
camp duties ; and when at night the new recruits retired to their 
beds of straw, under canvas roofs, they felt that they had begun 
a soldier's life. 

On the 6th of June, Captain Gallup arrived in camp with forty 
men, followed on the 9th by Lieut. Henry Pearce, with twenty- 
five more men, which brought the battery up to the required 
standard of one hundred and fifty ; and the following order was 

issued : 

Headquarters, Tenth R. I. Vols., 

Camp near Tennallytown, June S, 1862. 
Special Orders No. 5. 

Two commissioned officers and fiftv privates are hereby detailed from Light 
Battery " L," attached to the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, for the purpose 
of bringing from Washington, the horses and equipments belonging to the 
battery. The regimental quartermaster will furnish the transportation necessary. 

ZENAS R. BLISS, 
Benjamin F. Thurston, Colonel Tenth R. I. Vols. 

Adjutant. 

On the 14th of June, a battery of six twelve-pounder guns 
(Napoleons), were received, and active drilling in the field began. 
Each of the three branches or "arms" of the military service had 
its distinguishing color ; blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, and 
red for artillery. The body of the uniform worn by all was blue, 
— the trousers light, and the blouse dark blue. Artillerymen 
usually wore upon the front of their caps, a brass device repre- 
senting two cannon crossed. A battery usually had six guns, 
was complete in itself, and in almost all cases served indepen- 



320 THE TENTH LIGHT BATTERY 

dently. In the case of the Tenth Rhode Island Light Battery, by 
order, it was numbered as Company L, Tenth Rhode Island 
Volunteers. Each piece of artillery, and each caisson, battery- 
wagon, etc., was drawn by four or six horses, with numerous 
drivers, one of whom rode the " nigh " animal of each pair. 
The officers and men diligently devoted themselves to duty and 
the Tenth Battery was soon ready for active service. 

On the 23d of June, the battery received orders to move to 
Cloud's Mills, Va., to support a general advance of troops to the 
Peninsula, to join McClellan. The movement was made in a 
storm of rain, the battery being followed by a train of from fifteen 
to eighteen army wagons loaded with tents and supplies. As 
this was the first time the teams had been harnessed up, there was 
naturally considerable confusion and delay, which was aggravated 
by the increasing storm. Quartermaster-Sergeant Asa Lyman was 
hard at work in the rear, urging the line forward, with words of di- 
rection and encouragement. The battery had a lot of spare horses, 
which were ridden by men specially detailed for that purpose. 
As it crossed Long Bridge into Virginia, the rain and darkness 
increased. The spare horses became very unmanageable, as the 
men clambered into the rear of the army wagons for shelter, and 
still attempted to hold them ; but with the sudden flashes of light- 
ning, they began to break away, and disappear in the darkness. 
Lyman relates an amusing episode that occurred under his eye. 
"As I rode up from the rear, completely drenched, a vivid 
flash of lightning, illuminating earth and sky, revealed one of the 
battery men, on a rising knoll by the roadside, struggling with two 
horses, which were pulling in opposite directions. In his terror, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 




A Dismal Nieht. 



the man was beseeching the Almighty to strike 
one of the horses dead, and relieve him of the 
ionsibility. He declared, with an oath, that 
he couldn't ' hould ' but one baste, any longer." 
A considerable loss of horseflesh occurred on 
that dismal night — but it was more than re- 
placed by foraging — so that a gain of one was 
reported at camp the following day. 

The final halt was made at Clouds's Mills, 
near the camp of the Sixty-ninth New York, 
and the hospitalities extended to our men were very gratefully 
appreciated. The surgeon of that regiment drew very liberally for 
Us from his hospital stores. It was real Irish hospitality given in 
full measure without stint or formality. The camp of the battery 
was located near Seminary Hill, commanding roads leading into 
Washington. Near by were the Sixty-ninth New York, the 
Thirty-second Massachusetts, and part of the Eleventh and Four- 
teenth United States Infantry, and three batteries of light artil- 
lery. The brigade was under the command of Colonel Bliss, of 
the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers, acting-brigadier-general. 

With such an environment, the Tenth Battery soon attained a 
most creditable degree of efficiency. An officer on the staff of 
Gen. Samuel P. Sturgis, commanding the division, paid it the 
compliment of saying that it had been selected by the General 
for a service, in which its efficiency would be thoroughly tested. 
The test of battle was not given but it is fair to say that the 
Tenth Battery was ready and willing to obey any call that could 
be made upon it. Immediately after the failure of the Peninsula 

41 



,22 



THE TENTH LIGHT BATTERV 




Lieut. Samuel A. Pearee, Jr. 



campaign, under McClellan, it returned 
to its old camp, near Fort Pennsylvania, 
the headquarters of the Tenth Rhode 
Island Volunteers, relieving veteran troops 
for active service. During the absence 
of Captain Gallup, who was detailed on 
court martial duty in Washington, Lieut. 
Samuel A. Pearee, Jr., commanded the 
battery. 

Our surgeon, Edward Carrington Frank- 
lin, rendered excellent service and was much esteemed by officers 
and men. He graduated at Trinity College, and studied medi- 
cine with Dr. A. H. Okie, of Providence, and later at the New 
York Medical College. 

One death only occurred, during our term of service, and that 
by accident. Corp. James Flate was struck by the pole yoke of 
a limber, during an exhibition drill, and so badly injured that he 
died in four hours. He enlisted in New York as a detachment 
was passing through that city. He was faithful in the discharge 
of his duty, and by his social qualities gained universal favor. 

The officers and men of the battery maintained very agreeable 
relations with their brother soldiers of the Ninth and Tenth Regi- 
ments. Col. Zenas R. Bliss, of the "Tenth" often honored the 
battery with a visit, and was always warmly welcomed. These 
pleasant relations have been continued and kept alive by annual 
reunions of the survivors of the Tenth Regiment and Battery. 

During its term of service it acquired a proficiency in drill 
and artillery movements that excited the admiration of military 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 323 

visitants from Washington. Though it did not receive its "bap- 
tism of fire" as was confidently expected when it was ordered to 
an advanced position, the battery formed an important arm of 
the defence of Washington at a time when it became necessary 
to withdraw experienced troops from the fortifications around the 
city to reenforce the armies in the field. 

At the close of its term of service, the Battery returned home 
in company with the Tenth, and shared the welcome which 
greeted their arrival. It was mustered out of service August 30, 
1862. Some of the officers and men again volunteered, and made 
an honorable record. 

In closing this brief sketch of the Tenth Battery, it is due to 
the men who originated and organized the Rhode Island National 
Guard, in 1S61, to say that the promptness with which the men 
responded to this sudden call, was the result of patient and 
arduous military preparations to provide for just such emergencies 
as occurred in May, 1862. The Rhode Island National Guard 
maintained the efficiency of the militia companies, and enabled 
them to respond promptly in the time of need. In this regard 
special honor is due Col. James Shaw, Jr., its commander. 

Lieut. Samuel A. Pearce, Jr., 

Tenth R. I. Battery. 




324 the tenth light battery 

The Providence Marine Corps of Artillery. 



LIEUT. SAMUEL A. PEARCE, JR. 



The Providence Marine Corps of Artillery was the mother of 
ten batteries of light artillery, and the officers of this company 
assisted in the recruiting and drilling of these batteries during 
the War. By sending recruits to fill the depleted ranks they per- 
formed an important duty ; and, it may be timely said, that the 
history of none of the Rhode Island Light Batteries would be 
complete without the history of the " Providence Marine Corps 
of Artillery." 

It was organized in the year iSoi, and is therefore one of the 
oldest military organizations in Rhode Island, and was the first 
militia light battery in the United States. It bears upon its roll 
of membership many of Rhode Island's distinguished citizens. 
Several of its former officers were chiefs of artillery, having reg- 
ular army officers under them. Gov. William Sprague, Governor 
of Rhode Island, at the outbreak of the war, was a former com- 
mandant of this organization, and while holding his position as 
colonel developed the soldierly qualities which made Rhode Isl- 
and's Governor conspicuous for his promptness in sending troops 
to Washington at the first call of the President of the United 
States. 

In filling Rhode Island's quota, Governor Sprague conceived 
the idea of putting a regiment of light batteries into the field. 
These batteries were distributed in the armies of Virginia and 
the W T est, and made a proud record for themselves and in the 
great battles of the war. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 325 

Well may the old " Mother of Batteries " be proud of her chil- 
dren ; and long may her name be perpetuated by preserving the 
organization under its present charter. 

An account of the visit of the "Marines" to Boston, in 1852, 
under the command of Col. Joseph P. Balch, taken from a Boston 
paper, may be of interest to the younger members of this com- 
pany, and will show to some extent the character of the organi- 
zation in which the war batteries were schooled. 

"Boston, Saturday, September 18, 1852. Grand Review of 
the Marine Artillery of Providence, R. I., by His Excellency 
Governor Boutwell and staff, on Boston Common. 

" Our artist has given us below a very correct view of this fine 
body of citizen soldiers, under command of Colonel Balch, as they 
appeared on Boston Common a few days since when reviewed by 
Governor Boutwell and suite. Did our space permit we should 
be pleased to give a detailed account of the review, but we must 
be concise. The artist has chosen the scene to depict the com- 
pany as they appeared a la Sherman's Flying Artillery at full 
speed passing in review. It is a fact that the Providence Corps, 
as represented below, fired one hundred guns (notwithstanding a 
rain storm), in a second over six minutes with four pieces, while 
Sherman's Battery took seven minutes. The drill and discipline 
of the Marine Artillery was most excellent, and has infused a 
spirit among our own military that may result in the formation of 
a similar corps in Boston. 

"The company was instituted and organized and the charter 
granted by the legislature of Rhode Island, under the name of the 
Providence Marine Corps of Artillery, in the year 1801. Upon 



326 THE TENTH LIGHT BATTERY 

the petition of the ' Marine Society,' 'praying for an act of incor- 
poration for the purpose of perfecting themselves in the art mili- 
tary, and for the attack and defense of ships and batteries; ' and 
one section of the charter provided that all the officers of the 
company should be chosen from the Marine Society ; this provi- 
sion has been modified from time to time and finally annulled. 
At the present time no connection with the Marine Society exists. 

"' From the time of their organization until the close of the war 
of 1 812, the company was in a very efficient state of drill and dis- 
cipline; the forts and preparations for the defense of the harbor 
of Providence during the war, were constructed under their direc- 
tion. After this period, the interest in the company appeared to 
decline. New members, however, were admitted and the annual 
election held, that the charter might not be forfeited. 

"In 1842, at the commencement of the 'Dorr Rebellion' a 
communication was addressed by the Executive to the several 
military companies of the State, requesting to be informed if in 
case of necessity, he could depend upon their services to aid in 
the preservation of law and orde)'. 

" Upon laying this executive communication before the com- 
pany they at once took measures to render themselves efficient. 

" Numerous accessions were made to their ranks, and during 
the campaign of 1842, the active roll of the company numbered 
about one hundred men. During this season, they uniformed 
themselves, and the next year assisted by the State erected a 
commodious stone building, which is occupied jointly with the 
State as the armory of the company and the State Arsenal. 

"At this time the company were drilled and equipped as in- 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 327 

fantry. In 1847-48 the State furnished the company with their 
present battery and since that time they have drilled as light or 
flying artillery." 



POEM. 



Dedicated to the Tenth Battery Rhode Island Volunteers, 
before leaving their camp for home. By Lieut. Samuel A. 
Pearce, Jr. : 

Amid the joys that fill our every heart 

At happy greetings from the loved at home, 
'T'is joy to feel that as true friends we part, 

That so few shadows o'er our path has come. 

Days, weeks, and months we've shared each others lot, 

And each his portion of the burden borne, 
And pleasant mem'ries linger round the spot, 

Where rapidly those days and weeks rolled on. 

We leave this spot, — but not without a sigh. 

For here we've counted many a happy day, 
Yet still we bid the moments swiftly fly 

And hail the hour which sees us on our way. 

Safely returned we'll count our hardships sweet, 

And looked for dangers but a calm repose, 
And ever as such friends we'll always meet, 

And thus remain until our lives shall close. 




Homeward Bound. 




Fort Hill, Pawtuxet Neck, R. I., 

July 4, 1893. 

Comrades : Just a year ago the author wrote the introduction 
to this volume. To-day marks its completion. In the brief space 
during which it has been compiled there has been little oppor- 
tunity for elaboration. It has been prepared one form of sixteen 
pages at a time, and an edition of six hundred copies printed. 

No revision of the completed work has thus been possible, 
nor any opportunity afforded to leave out some irrelevant matter ; 
but the writer has had the advantage of letting the plan of the 
book, so far as there is any, develop itself from month to month. 
It is made up of incidents furnished by a large number of comrades, 
who thus join the writer in bearing witness to the faithfulness 

42 



330 THE END AT LAST. 

of his record. From collections of old diaries, old letters, old 
newspapers and orders, he has had to puzzle out and piece to- 
gether his material, but has at last, got together the needed facts, 
so far as it is now possible to discover them. He has sought by 
the liberal introduction of the spice of army life, to make the book 
entertaining, especially to the children of " the boys who marched 
in ' Sixty-two.' ' On this account the volume has far outgrown 
his original purpose. 

He gratefully acknowledges the assistance rendered from many 
sources, and the manifestations of deep interest, as the work has 
slowly yet surely progressed to the end. Whatever the reception 
which the critic of to-day may give to this book, it may be one 
of that class which Abraham Lincoln said people will read with 
satisfaction two hundred years hence, if fortunately a copy should 
be preserved so long in the Public Library. 

It closes with brief sketches of the reunions of the Ninth and 
Tenth Rhode Island Veteran Associations, and a corrected roster 
of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments, and Tenth Battery Rhode 
Island Volunteers. 

If by the perusal of these pages the comrades shall experience 
any added satisfaction for duty well performed in scenes of trial 
and danger, if in coming years it shall delight the hearts of their 
children, and children's children, to read the story of the eventful 
days when they put on uniform and hurried to the defence of the 
capital, — above all, if any impetus shall thus be given to the 
sacred cause of loyalty to our reunited country, then the desire 
of the writer will be abundantly satisfied. 

William Arnold Spicer, 

Company B, Tenth R. I. Vols. 



REUNIONS 



THE NINTH R. I. VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 



I 



ffid 



NEARLY every year since the close of the War some of our 
comrades have held reunions to renew the old friend- 
ships of "Sixty-two." 
The Ninth Rhode Island Veteran Asso- 
ciation was organized in 1873, and has 
held twenty annual reunions up to the 
present time. The Association badge 
was adopted in 1875. 

One of the most enjoyable gatherings 
was that at Silver Spring, on Septem- 
ber 2, 1890, the twenty-eighth anniversary 
of the muster-out day. The following re- 
port has been preserved : 

" Col. J. Talbot Pitman was reelected 
president, and Hon. Harrison H. Richard- 
son, of Nayatt, sergeant of Company H, 
secretary and treasurer. After the routine 
business was completed, the secretary, 
in behalf of members of the Association, 
presented to Colonel Pitman a gold badge, appropriately inscribed, 
embodying the State coat-of-arms, and military emblems, sug- 



jJp^Regtp 



BADGE. 
Ninth R. I. Veteran Association. 



332 THE NINTH RHODE ISLAND 

gestive of the recipient's rank in the service. In presenting the 
badge, Sergeant Richardson said : 

"Mr. President : A few days ago I submitted for your approval 
the 'notice,' since issued, for this reunion, and possibly you may 
remember asking me ' what other important business besides the 
election of officers was therein referred to.' Perhaps ray answer 
was hardly satisfactory, for I tried to evade the question. 

" In truth, sir, I had been drawn into a conspiracy. A plot had 
been devised which would fail of success if you should get knowl- 
edge of it before we were ready to spring the mine. 

" For some time past, members have felt that there was due to 
you from them some recognition of your untiring efforts to pro- 
mote the success of this Association and to keep alive the spirit 
of comradeship among those who, twenty-eight years ago, shared 
with you the honors, as well as the toils and dangers of our hun- 
dred days' watch and ward over the city of Washington. 

" Now, after the lapse of many years, as we recall the events of 
' Sixty-two,' we can better understand the responsibility then 
weighing upon you as colonel, commanding the regiment, and 
there has come to us some appreciation of your patience with our 
imperfect, and sometimes none too earnest efforts to conform to 
military rule and discipline. 

"We can now even remember with complacency that too pre- 
vious fife and drum, which were wont to make such sad havoc 
with our early morning dreams. For surely the dulcet strains of 
the 'Reveille' were to be preferred to the clamor of the 'Long 
Roll,' which, at some midnight hour, we might have heard in our 
camp, if through our lack of vigilance the enemy had found an 
unguarded opening through our lines. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 333 

" So too, those daily drills, by squad, by company, and by 
battalion, sometimes irksome, especially to our cherished ' whangs ' 
(army shoes), yet who shall say how much they may have had to 
do with our immunity from attack ? 

"These thoughts tend to impress upon us the sense of obliga- 
tion to you sir, inasmuch as, in those days of our country's trials, 
your zeal in her service never abated, your vigilance never re- 
laxed ; and although ours was a bloodless campaign, yet to the 
Ninth Regiment belongs the honor of having faithfully performed 
all duties imposed upon it, and we can take pride in sharing that 
honor with our commander. 

"Mr. President : Probably knowing how inadequate my words 
would be, to fittingly express their feelings towards you, the com- 
rades have placed in my hands as a tangible testimonial of their 
regard, this badge, which in their behalf, I now present for your 
acceptance, in the hope that it may be found worthy to be worn 
by you upon all suitable occasions, in remembrance of the cam- 
paign of the Ninth Regiment in 1S62, for the defence of the 
national capital." 

Colonel Pitman responded with fitting acknowledgments, but 
was so completely taken by surprise, as to find it impossible at 
the moment to find words to suitably express his feelings. He 
fully appreciated the gift, and was very proud of the honor con- 
ferred upon him by his comrades of the Ninth Rhode Island Vet- 
eran Association. 

Sergt. Harrison H. Richardson, of Company H, has filled the 
position of secretary and treasurer, with untiring zeal and fidelity 
since the organization in 1873. 



OJ 



4 



THE NINTH RHODE ISLAND 



The officers of the Xinth Rhode Island Veteran Association 
have been as follows : 

Presidents. 

Col. John Talbot Pitman, Lt.-Col. John Hare Powel. 

V r ice-Presideiits. 



Lt.-Col. John Hare Powel, 

Capt. Henry C. Card, 
" Henry F. Jenks, 

Lieut. John Pollard, 
" J. Clarke Barber, 
" Richard W. Howard, 
" George H. Burnham, 

Adjt. Henry C. Brown, 

Sergt. Robert S. Blair, 
" James B. Streeter, 

Corp. Edward P. Lowden, 
" Sanford A. Robbins. 

Priv. Darius Cook, 
" John S. Davis, 
" George Carmichael, Jr., 
" Joseph Bigelow, 
" Andrew Crumley, 
" Henry C. Sayles, 
" Charles F. Pierce, 
" Stephen A. Peck, 
" Orland Freeborn, 



Capt. Robert McCloy, 
" John A. Brown, 

Lieut. Francello G. Jillson, 
" Nathan D. Benton, 
" William McCready, 
" H. J. Whitaker, 
" William R. Landers, 

Sergt. Enos A. Clarke, 
" James F. Mowkey, 

Corp. Jeremiah I. Greene, 
" Benjamin B. Martin, 
" Hugh O'Donnell, 

Priv. Edmund Bray, 
" William Massey, 
" Edward H. Burdick, 
" John McDeyitt, 
" William J. Milan, 
" Luke A. Wood, 
" Frank D. Fiske, 
" Henry A. Bowen, 
" John H. Stacy. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 



THE SOLDIER'S WELCOME. 



BY MARY E. KILBL'RN, LONSDALE, K. I. 



Welcome, thrice welcome, soldier friends, 

We give you hearty cheer, 
We've watched and waited for this hour 

With mingled hope and fear; 
We've missed you in our hearts and homes, 

Friends, brothers, sons and sires, 
And now we shout that " Welcome Home," 

Which trust and love inspires. 

We lent you to " our holy cause," 

To guard the nation's dome, 
To keep the rebel hordes at bay, 

And save " fair freedom's " home; 
And now your duty nobly done, 

We grasp with honest pride 
Your sun-browned hands, that tell of toil, 

Near the " Potomac's side." 

But in our joy we'll humbly raise 

Our grateful hearts above, 
To Him whose guardian care has kept 

The objects of our love; 
In sun, and in light and shade. 

His strong, protecting arm 
Has been outstretched for your defence, 

To shield from every harm. 



336 THE NINTH RHODE ISLAND 

And while with happy hearts we sing, 

Oh let us not forget 
The sorrowing and the suffering ones, 

Whose respite is not jet; 
With loving hearts and ready hands, 

To cheer and to relieve, 
We'll stand heside the soldier-boys, 

And comfort those who grieve. 

And shall we not stand by our arms, 

And heed again the call; 
Shall patriot blood forget to flow, 

And patriots fear to fall? 
Oh, what are we, if land, and home, 

And liberty, and law, 
Are weighed against our little life ! 

(Prepare, then, for the war). 

Our country! all we are to-day, 

And all we hope to be, 
We gladly on thy altar lay, 

And consecrate to thee ; 
We ask not wealth, we ask not fame, 

This loan thy blessing be, — 
United States may we remain, 

One land, one hope, one destiny. 

Chorus : 

Then while Ave shout a welcome, 
We'll sing in grateful lays 

Of His kind love and tenderness, 
Who merits all our praise. 



VETERAN ASS< >( IATION. 



THE STARRY STANDARD. 



By Capt. J. McKinlav, Company D, 
Written for a Flag-r.iisinsr. 



Behold jour starry standard, 

Aloft in ambient air! 
What heart so cold but rapturous throbs 

To see it floating there! 
Be scorned the man who views the flag 

Of Valley Forge renown, 
Who'd not resist the rebel arm 

Upraised to tear it down. 

That flag : — beneath those streaming stripe-,, 

Your martyr'd fathers stood : 
That flag they raised on Bunker Hill, 

And baptized with their blood : 
We fling not forth defiantly, 

From towering spire and dome, 
But rally round its hallowed shrine 

To guard fair Freedom's home. 

Why are these starry ensigns raised 

To flaunt and flutter free, 
Till towns appear like pennoned fleets, 

At anchor on the sea? 
They're all unfurled to indicate 

That rebellion we detest, 
And show the brave and loyal heart 

Within the nation's breast. 



43 



338 THE NINTH R. I. VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 

We court not war, with all the ills 

That follow in its train ; 
But order, law. and government, 

We surely dare maintain : 
When mad, rebellious, wicked men, 

Would lawlessly break through 
The glorious Constitution 

Your father framed for you. 

Is there a heart with not enough 

Of patriotic fires. 
To rally to the rescue, ere 

Loved Freedom's home expires? 
Is there an arm so enervate 

That would not wield a blade, 
To guard the Constitution 

Our noble fathers made? 

Let Warren's gallant spirit now 

Inspire each sire and son : 
Of every creed and nation, 

Let all unite in one ! 
Be party spleen and rancor drowned, 

In Union's swelling flood, 
To save the glorious heritage 

Bought with our fathers' blood. 

And may our patriot volunteers 

In triumph soon be seen, 
Returning to their native home 

Of Perry and of Greene ! 
And though their war-worn features be 

With blood and smoke begrimm'd 
May their flag stream forth triumphantly 

With all the stars undimnrd. 



THE TENTH R. I. VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 



T 



HE first reunion of the 
Tenth Rhode Island Vet- 
eran Associationwas held 

at Silver Spring, R. I., July 24, 

1877. Col. James Shaw, Jr., 

was chosen president, and Acljt. 

John F. Tobey, toastmaster. 
It was at the time of the 

labor riots in Pennsylvania, and 

the Providence Journal, refer- 
ring to the Tenth reunion, said : 

" These are good times for vet- 
erans to be getting together. 

Possibly they may be wanted 

again, 'armed and equipped.' " 
The Association Badge was 

adopted at the reunion in May, 

1887, with the motto, " Volens et 

pamtUS" "ready and Willing." BADGE— Ten'.h R. I. Veteran Association. 

Its form, a spade, is suggestive of the shoveling done by the 
regiment on Battery Vermont, with the mercury at ioo° in the 
shade. The badge also bears the date of enlistment, May, 1862, 
with the State anchor of hope. In the lower left hand corner is an 
infantry emblem, crossed muskets on a field of blue, and in the 




340 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

opposite corner an artillery emblem with crossed cannon on a field 
of red. The badge is supported by a gold bar with a military cap 
in the centre, marked 10, R. I. Vols, and Battery, the whole 
resting upon a ribbon of blue, with plain bar and pin at the top. 

At the first reunion of the Tenth Rhode Island Veteran Asso- 
ciation, His Honor Mayor Thomas A. Doyle, in responding to a 
toast, "The City of Providence," said: "The city is proud of 
this regiment, and of the alacrity with which it responded to the 
call of duty. We should keep our militia organizations strong." 

Lieut. Samuel A. Pearce, Jr., followed with an original poem, 
which was received with much enthusiasm : 

As friends, as soldiers, aye, as brothers all, 

We here have met our camp-life to recall : 

To pledge our friendship in a friendly drink 

Of something mild, would surely have you think; 

To eat our rations in a Christian style. 

No fierce guerillas to molest the while, 

No signal lights far in the distance seen, 

No anxious -patchings on the magazine. 

No Stonewall Jackson coming o'er the hills, 

No " grand round" escorts, no battalion drills, 

No balky horses, and no kicking teams, 

No bugle calls to wake us from our dreams; 

But here we are with hands and dishes clean, 

Plenty of napkins, — isn't it serene? 

Though large our number there's an absent friend, 
Whose genial presence doth a sunshine lend: 
llis name — you've guessed it; for I know you miss 
Our friend, companion, brother: — Colonel Bliss. 
Nine cheers for Bliss ; — come, join me now, 
And drink the Colonel's health :— so, here's how! 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 34 1 

On June 28, 1S77, the Tenth regiment took part in the recep- 
tion of President Rutherford B. Hayes, and the line was reviewed 
by him at Rocky Point, the Tenth being commanded by Capt. 
William E. Taber, Jr., of Company A. 

The second reunion was held in Providence, in May, 1882, and 
the third in May, 1883, when Col. Zenas R. Bliss was present, 
and expressed his satisfaction at meeting his old comrades. He 
is still in the United States regular service. Hon. William A. 
James (formerly sergeant of Company A), speaker of the House 
of Representatives of the State of Illinois, was also present. 

Since 1883 annual reunions have been held, nearly all on May 
26th, the anniversary of the date of enlistment. 

On the Fourth of July, 1887, the Tenth Rhode Island Veteran 
Association, William A. Spicer, president, participated in the 
ceremonies incident to the unveiling of the Burnside Equestrian 
Statue, on Exchange Place, Providence. Soldiers and citizens, 
State and city, joined in the tribute. The Providence Journal 
in referring to the presence of General Sherman said : 
" Other cities had interesting features in their celebration of the 
Fourth, but to Providence alone was reserved the best of all, 
William Tecum seh Sherman." 

At the reunion of May, 1888, the steel howitzer, captured by 
the Tenth in 1862, was exhibited on the platform. It has since 
been placed with other memorials, in the museum of the Rhode 
Island Historical Society, Providence. 

Quartermaster James H. Armington exhibited a sample of the 
"hard-tack" dealt out to the boys in 1S62. He said according to 
the date thereon it was officially inspected in 1855. 



1 1 5 



THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 



The officers of the Tenth Veteran Association, have been as 
follows : 



1877 to 1884 
18S5 
1886 
1887 
1888 
18S9 
1890 
1891 
1892 

1S93 
1894 



Presidents. 

Col. James Shaw, Jr. 
Capt. and Ex-Gov. Elisha Dyer. 
Capt. William E. Taber. 
Sergt. Philip B. Stiness. 
Priv. William A. Spicer. 
Sergt. Henry R. Barker. 
Priv. William A. Harris. 
Lieut. Leander C. Belcher. 
Ouar.-Sergt. Asa Lyman. 
Sergt. Albert J. Manchester. 
Corp. William A. H. Grant. 

Vice-Presidents. 



Capt. William E. Taber, 

Sergt. William H. H. Brayman, 

Sergt. Philip B. Stiness, 

Lieut. Charles F. Phillips (president pro ten/), 

Sergt. William Stone, 

Priv. Robert B. Holden, 

Priv. William A. Harris, 

Lieut. Leander C. Belcher, 

Sergt. Albert J. Manchester, 

Corp. William A. H. Grant, 

Capt. Hopkins B. Cady, 

Capt. Christopher Duckworth. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 343 

Members who have served on the Executive Committee. 

Company A — Capt. William E. Taber, Lieut. Leander C. 
Belcher, Priv. Caleb C. Greene, Jr., Corp. Eugene F. Phillips, 
Corp. Albert C. Winsor. 

Company B — Corp. Nathan H. Baker, Corp. George T. Baker, 
Priv. William A. Spicer, Priv. James F. Field. 

Company C — Priv. George W. Lewis, Corp. Joseph W. Padel- 
ford, Priv. Elisha W. Sweet, Priv. Edmund J. Munroe. 

Company D — Corp. William H. H. Brayman, Priv. S. Erastus 
Merchant, Priv. Levi L. Burdon. 

Company E — Lieut. Stephen H. Thurber, Sergt. William Stone, 
Corp. Ira R. Wilbur, Priv. Christopher A. Cady. 

Company F — First Sergt. Joel Metcalf. 

Company G — First Sergt. John B. Benson, Sergt. Albert J. 
Manchester, Musician John F. Parks. 

Company H — First Sergt. George A. Winchester, Sergt. Charles 
P. Gay. 

Company I — First Sergt. Henry R. Barker, Corp. Oliver S. 
Alers, Corp. Moses B. Chace, Corp. B. D. Hale. 

Company K — Corp. Joseph E. Handy, First Sergt. Munson H. 
Najac. 

Company L, Battery — Sergt. Philip B. Stiness, Priv. A. D. 
White, Ouar.-Sergt. Asa Lyman, First Sergt. Amasa C. Tourtellot. 

Staff. 

Com.-Sergt. James O. Swan. 

Secretary and Treasurer. 

Corp. Benjamin F. Pabodie, Sergt. George A. Winchester. 



;_|4 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 



REUNION POEMS. 



By Mrs. B. F. Pabodie, 
Wife of Corp. Benjamin F. Pabodie, Company H. 



The cherry snow had fallen, in the beautiful month of May, 

The robins sung in the twilight, — on the purple lilac spray, 

The grass was green in the meadows, in the freshening springtime life, 

And we followed our peaceful duties, nor thought of the distant strife. 

When early one sunny morning came a summons to our ears, 

The enemy threatens Washington, and we need more volunteers! " 

The quick response from patriot hearts, our annals past will show, 

Six hundred men, in scarce ten hours, had pledged themselves to go. 

No time for preparation, scarce time to say farewell, . 

One night at home, with sorrowing friends, how fast the teardrops fell : 

Sn thirty hours from the summons, all ready to meet the foe, 

We started off for Washington, just twenty-six years ago. 

How many of us remember the beginning of that campaign, 
How we stood on Exchange Place, hours and hours in the midst of the pour- 
ing rain. 
How they crowded us into the depot, and packed us into the cars, 
But nought could dampen the courage of our valiant " Sons of Mars." 
As through the long, long night we sailed, we talked of days to come, 
And jest and jokes went freely round, for we dared not think of home. 
What lay in the distant future, was hidden from every eye, 
Suppose we never come back! What then? We have only once to die. 
And so we traveled through the night and thro' the wearisome day, 
With welcomes warm, and cheers and shouts in the cities along our way; 
Then through the dust and mud we marched, till the fourth night settled down, 
As we built our fires, and pitched our tents, on the hills near Tennallytown. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 345 

Then came the drill, and picket-guard, and the morning bugle call. 

O, that getting up so early, 'twas the hardest trial of all! 

Yet prompt to call we worked and drilled, and at night we took our ease, 

As we gathered round the evening fires, that lighted up old Camp Frieze. 

At length we were ordered to Fairfax, how gladly we hurried awav, 

On that long, hot march to Seminary Hill, for only three days' stay, 

Not one of us wants to revisit that barren desert again. 

Where the grasshoppers carried their rations, when they marched across the 

plain. 
We hoped to have reached the battlefield, for courage there was no lack, 
But a soldier's duty is " to obey," and the Tenth was ordered back. 
'Tis hard no battles to recount, no skirmishes to relate, 
But yet we know " they also serve, who only stand and wait." 
So the old and veteran soldiers went forward to meet the foe. 
While we guarded the forts around Washington, just twenty-six years ago. 

More work, more drill, more " mounting guard," 'twas tiresome day by day, 

But looking back, thro' the mist of years, it seems like nothing but play. 

'Twas not for our pastime we tarried there, we felt whatever might come, 

We were simply doing our duty for our country and our home. 

Our patriotism no time can dull, nor trials make us forget: 

Should the nation need us again, they'd find life in the old Tenth yet. 

Alas! my brothers, those hours have flown, and the years have hurried past, 

And sorrows many have sapped the strength which we thought would always 

last. 
Our youth departed, our manhood fled, old age comes swiftly and sure, 
There is little left for some of us, but patiently to endure. 
The deeds we've done are not perhaps what we planned in our youthful 

dreams, 
Is life worth living," we sometimes ask, as we mourn o'er our shattered 

schemes. 
Still one oasis in this bleak desert this festival night will show, 
When we meet to talk of the pleasant times of twenty-six years age. 
44 



546 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

OLD ARMY DAYS. 



By Prof. W. Whitman Bailey. 
Corporal Company D. 

Dear fellow vets, 

In such familiar phrase, 

I now address my comrades of old days: 

Yet as I think by no especial right, 

I come before you on this festal night: 

For, if you'll pardon what is scarcely meant, 

A pun, I served my country by in-tent: 

Still I remember in a mighty shower 

Being " turned out " at some ungodly hour, 

To walk before the Colonel's tent, and keep 

The rebels silent while he went to sleep: 

I often wonder as I think of this, 

Whether our brave commander slept in Bliss, 

For though a high wind blew with tempest's rack 

And streams of water flowed adown my back 

I guarded him so well that my relief 

Forgot me for a while, much to my grief: 

Perhaps to theirs: I will not here inquire 

Lest I should stir some long-forgotten fire: 

Speaking of fires, what a jolly thing 

Those camp-fires were when Burdon used to sing: 

Do the young soldiers of the present day 

See Nelly home " in that familiar way? 

Or if they're modern " Titia's," are they still 

Charmed by the glittering sword of Bunker Hill? 

In nightly visions of a certain sort 

I often find myself at this old sport, 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 347 

And if a corporal called " attention " then. 

I'd come bolt upright as I used to when 

He'd turn us out at early reveille. 

And talk cpiite loudly of our corps d'esprit ; 

Still plainer vet the captain's voice I hear. 

Loud calling for some lusty volunteer, 

To right his tent, or chop the wood, or go 

To hunt up '• System," in the realms below ; 

De mortuis nisi bonitm hope I may, 

And so about our grub I'll nothing say ; 

Except that hard-tack, when it's marked B. C., 

Is even now avoided still by me 

As is that meat denominated junk, 

And flung in hogsheads by the salted chunk ; 

Do I remember Fairfax and the clay. 

In which we tried to drive our pegs one daj ? 

Do I recall the march by night to town. 

How cold we were, and how we washed it down 

By something fluid, I will not say what. 

Administered by the Colonel from a pot: 

On that same night, or else I am a slave, 

I stretched my full length on a barrel stave: 

I wondered then, and even now can't see. 

How I disposed of all mv vertebra-: 

My lucky comrades, made of sterner stuff, 

Had fire, they said, and pies and food enough ; 

But now I'll order arms, and break my ranks, 

To all my comrades I return my thanks: 

I hope they'll pardon, if they don't agree 

With a poor private once ot Company D ! 

This brilliant effusion was followed by the ever popular song of 
Seeing Nelly Home," by Burdon, of Company D. 



348 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

Poem for the reunion of the Tenth Veteran Association, May 
26, 1882. 

By Sergt. A. T. Starkey, Company D. 

Glad welcome to-night to the comrades assembled. 

Glad remembrance of those who in young manhood's strength, 
Raised aloft their right hands as their country's defenders, 

And enlisted their names in the Rhode Island "Tenth." 
Long years have passed by since we left our loved firesides, 

At fair Liberty's summons — her cause to defend ; 
The friendships we formed in the days of our service 

Were friendships for life, that shall never know end. 
It was not given us on fair Liberty's altar 

To lay down our lives, as our brothers had done; 
Had our country demanded, — not a soul would have faltered, 

Such was the spirit sublime, our comrades among. 
How well I recall the events of the journey, 

The question our colonel, so gallant and true, 
Asked De Wolf, who by looks was all of us junior. 
" My son, you look youthful : how old, boy, are you ? "' 
" Twenty-four," says De Wolf. " O, ho! " says the colonel, 
" You'll do, my brave boy, put your name on the books : 
I'll enter an item right here in my journal. 

You can't always tell a man's age by his looks! " 
In the City of Brotherly Love behold our flirtations, 

The meal at " the Cooper Shop," ample and good : 
The last ere we entered on Uncle Sam's rations 

And gave him our time for his clothes and his food. 
Then the night march in Baltimore, through the street so historic 

Where the first brave martyrs to Liberty fell, — 
The clank of our bayonets meeting the awnings, 

Our fears and our fancies we remember full well. 
Then the strange disappearance of our friends in the darkness; 

Av to right and to left they mysteriously fell 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 349 

Down the dark, open cellar-ways left all unguarded. 

Till we all met at the station our adventures to tell. 
Oh, the first meal at Washington, so rough and forbidding, 

With great chunks of meat, all gristle and fat: 
How they flew through the air in that dining-hall dreary, 

Then the midnight alarm, — do you e'er think of that? 
Our camp at Tennallytown, and the daily manoeuvres : 

The return of Mauran, so triumphal and grand. 
From his visit at home for his teeth's benefaction: 

His queer donkey-chariot and quaint driving-man. 
" Poor darkness" was arrested for quitting his station 

Before the white tent of our Colonel so true; 
To procure for himself a nice cold, creamy " ration," 

Which he'd waited and longed for, who could blame him — could you? 
The march over the river. So many crossed over 

Who never returned to glad Liberty's shore. 
Our camp at old Fairfax — the return — and the journey 

To the Forts, — I've dreamt of them over and o'er. 
Then our pathways divided, and each of our hundreds 

Lived a separate camp-life, and marched various ways: 
At the fort called " De Russy," not far from headquarters, 

Company D of the Tenth whiled away the long days: 
On the silvery banks of the creek near our camp-fires, 

With the cool water bathing our limbs day by day : 
In the blackberry fields just over the river. 

We reveled at will, as the time wore away. 
Till the day came at length when our campaign was ended 

With discharge from the service we had truly enjoyed, 
Homeward bound every comrade now joyfully wended, 

To greet friends and loved ones, our footsteps employed. 
Twenty years of success, as the world counts success: 

Twenty years of defeat, as the world counts defeat, 
Have gladdened or saddened our swift-passing years, 

Since the days when as comrades we each other did greet. 



35 



O THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

Some have grown great in the eves of the nation, 

Some have gone down in the race after wealth : 
Some been content with a quiet vocation, 

Others been hindered by the loss of their health. 
Till time with its hours of deep sorrow and pleasure, 

Rolling steadily on toward eternity's sea, 
Has brought us at length to this festal reunion : 

And welcome, thrice welcome, the absent would be. 
No. all are not here: some have ended life's history, 

Crossed o'er the dark river and entered Heaven's gate, 
And while our paths widen o'er life's fleeting mystery, 

We shall all at one portal meet early or late. 
Then may God keep us all through the rest of life's march in; 

May He prosper us all, give to one and all strength ; 
And may we, dear comrades, in all of our journevings 

Ne'er forget the srlad davs of " the °lorious old Tenth! " 



THE TENTH BOYS. 



Poem by Corp. W. Whitman Bailey, 
Company D, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 

I know the Tenth boys, I am not mistaken, 

Though heads now are silvered, once auburn or brown 

Though shoulders are bent and knees may be shaken, 
Since pitching those " Sibleys " at Ten-ally-town. 

'Tis all a delusion to treat them as older, 

Rheumatics: bronchitis? neuralgia? What then? 

They march as they once did, aye, shoulder to shoulder, 
And " get there" precisely like average men. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 35 I 

Their notes still are tuneful : just list to the singing, 

Is Burdon less musical now, than of yore? 
He'll warble of " Nelly," the famed " Sword of Bunker." 

And come up still smiling, to meet an encore. 

Just happen to mention the Tenth lias no glory. 

In view of yon howitzer, desperately won, 
Dispute her proud title, the ,; regiment gory! " 

And seek your own quarters, for quarters we've none. 

And so I repeat it and know it is truthful, — 

These comrades around me, despite what they say. 

Are slender, erect and perennially youthful : 

Why! bless me! They mustered this very same May! 



THE BOYS OF SIXTY-TWO. 



By Sergt. T. A. Starkey, Company D. 



Written for the Tenth Regiment Reunion. May 265 1SS7. 



[Air: "Auld Lang Syne," "The Sword of Bunker Hill."] 

We gather here, this festal night, 

To clasp each comrade's hand, 
To flash the beams of memory's light 

On days dark to our land : 
To greet the present, — mourn the lost, 

To pledge our faith anew 
To the cause for which we left our homes 

In eighteen sixty-two. 



152 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

Long years have passed since first we met 

And we've grown old and gray, 
And widely scattered are the boys, 

And some have passed away. 
But thro' the years, where'er we've roamed 

Whatever we've found to do, 
We've held in loving memory strong 

Those hours of sixty-two. 

And could our days exceed in length 

The prophet's days of old, 
The golden tale of those bright days 

To us will ne'er grow old. 
The hours we passed on Southern soil 

With comrades tried and true, 
Are treasured deep within the hearts 

Of the boys of sixty-two. 

So, comrades, through the coming years, 

While life and strength endure, 
We'll gather here with hearty cheer 

And friendship strong and pure. 
And on each glad Memorial Day, 

Our comradeship renew; 
That comradeship which made us one 

In eighteen sixty-two. 



45 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 35 _ 

A CAMP-FIRE. 

W Corp. \V. Whitman Bailey, Company D. 

Our watchfire burns, 

The soldier turns 
To meet the friend of long ago; 

The moments fly, 

The years haste by, 
But dearer doth each comrade grow. 

We con once more 

Our marches o'er, 
We sing the songs we loved of old ; 

We grasp the hand. 

Our hearts expand, 
And closer to each friend we hold. 

Can we forget? 

Ah no ! Not yet ! 
Despite our heads in rebel gray ; 

The fact is true, 

We wore the blue, 
And started hence the other day. 

If comrades fell, 

To them " farewell ! " 
And o'er them votive offerings place: 

Recall the while 

Each hero's smile, 
And cherish his familiar face. 

Remember, boys, 

Beside the joys, 
That duty calls us hence once more : 

Our motto scan ! 

Let eveiy man 
Be li ready, willing," as of yore ! 



354 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

LOYAL EVER. 

By Corp. W. Whitman Bailey, Company D. 



Tenth Regiment Reunion, May 26, 1891. 



Boys, though our hair be gray, 
Yet shall this month of May, 
Ever recall the day — 

Long, long ago, 
When at our country's call, 
Left we the college hall, 
Business or trade, and all 

Marched on the foe. 

Nor can we e'er forget, 

How, though their cheeks were wet, 

Maid, wife, or mother met — 

Sacred each name ! 
Though we might ne'er come back, 
Better the battles' wrack, 
Storm-blast and tempest's track, 

Honor than shame ! 

So then, with loyal pride, 
Stood we, boys, side by side, 
Comrades all, true and tried, 

So still we stand. 
Gather we round about, 
Fling wide " old glory " out, 
Hail it with song and shout, 

God bless our land ! 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 



355 



AFTER DECORATION. 



By Corp. W. Whitman Bailey, Company D. 

Out in the pitying rain. 
Leave we our dead again, 
The gallant ranks of those 
Who sleep beneath the rose. 

Here where our children tread, 
Lie the heroic dead, 
For them nor shield nor name; 
Their's is their country's fame, 

Let every eye behold 
Our starry banner's fold. 
The dead did dare maintain, 
It's glory without stain. 

All that they had they gave — 
Their victory, the grave, 
For them 'tis mete to bring, 
These garlands of the spring. 



356 THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 

Our national poetry and song have been the offspring of mighty 
struggles and glorious achievements. These stirring melodies, 
every line bristling with patriotic devotion to home and country 
did much in preserving our National Unity. 

In September, 1862, one of the darkest periods of the war for 
the Union, as the shadows of night fell upon the gory field of 
Antietam, but sixty miles away from our old camp at Fort Penn- 
sylvania, a sick and wounded soldier in one of the hospitals, in 
a clear and strong voice, sung this song of victory at midnight : 

'■ Our flag is there ! Our flag is there ! 

We hail it with three loud huzzas! 
Our flag is there ! Our flag is there ! 

Behold the glorious ' Stripes and Stars! ' 
Brave hearts have fought for that bright flag; 

Strong hands sustained it, mast-head high, 
And, O. to see how proud it waves, 

Bring tears of joy to every eye ! " 

On the memorable 14th of April, 1865, just after the final sur- 
render to Grant at Appomattox, and the fourth anniversary of the 
fall of Fort Sumter, by order of President Lincoln, the same old 
flag, lowered by rebellious hands in 1861, was raised again over the 
ruins of the fort. It was the writer's good fortune to participate 
in the ceremonies at Fort Sumter, and to be on the steamer which 
carried the news of the surrender of Lee, to the city of Charleston. 

Arrived within hailing distance, we gave each ship, gunboat, 
and monitor, the good news, as we passed, upon which a scene of 
of the wildest enthusiasm followed, which quickly spread through- 
out the entire blockading squadron. 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 357 

The sailor boys in blue crowded to the bulwarks, and, mounting 
aloft, manned the yards, climbing even to the main-tops, and, 
turning, swung their caps, and rent the air with their shouts. 

" Hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah ! Lee has surrendered ! Lee has 
surrendered ! How welcome the tidings after the long struggle ! 
' Sweet after danger's the close of the war ? ' ' 

On the morrow, as we descended to the interior of Fort Sum- 
ter, we passed from the wall-steps to the platform near the new 
flag-staff, through a double file of navy boys in trimmest holiday 
attire. Here was assembled the great audience of five thousand 
soldiers, sailors and citizens, and we joined them in the stirring 
song of "Victory at Last,"' composed for the great occasion : 

For manv years we've waited to hail the day of peace. 
When our land should be united, and war and strife should cease; 
And now that day approaches, the drums are beating fast, 
And all the boys are coming home: there's victory at last! 

The heroes who have gained it and lived to see the day. 
We will greet with flying banners and honors on the way; 
And all their sad privations shall to the winds be cast, 
For all the boys are coming home; there's victory at last! 

O happy wives and children ! light up your hearts and homes ; 
For see, with martial music " the conquering hero comes." 
With flags and streamers flying, while drums are beating fast ; 
For all the boys are coming home: there's victory at last ! 

Chorus : 

There's victory at last, bovs, victory at last ! 
O'er land and sea. our flag is free, we'll nail it to the mast : 
Yes. we'll nail it to the mast, bovs, nail it to the mast, 
For there's victory, victory, victory at last! 



;5§ 



THE TENTH RHODE ISLAND 



Gen. Robert Anderson, the 
hero of Sumter, then stepped 
forward and said : " I thank 
God that I have lived to see 
this day, and after four long 
years of war to be here to restore 
to its proper place this dear 
flag, which floated here during 
the days of peace. My heart is 
filled with gratitude to God, who 
has so signally blessed us, who has given us blessings beyond 
measure. May all the nations ; bless and praise the 

name of the Lord and all the ] ;W world proclaim, 'Glory 

to God in the highest, and LjiPlb on earth peace, good 




Gen. Robert Anderson. 




The Ruins of Fort Sumter in 1865. 

will toward men ! ' ' "Amen ! Amen ! " responded the vast mul- 
titude. Then the old veteran firmly grasped the halyards, and 

" Forthwith from the glittering staff unfurled 
The starry banner, which full high advanced, 
Shone like a meteor streaming to the wind." 



VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 359 

Thirty years have passed since that eventful day, and the pre- 
cious remains of Robert Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter, 
repose in the National Cemetery at West Point, but his noble 
character, and devoted service to his country, can never be for- 
gotten. 

From the smoke of Sumter day quickly arose the Sumter Club, 
whose anniversary it celebrates with "feast of reason, and flow 
of loyal soul." Among its treasures is the Confederate flag of 
Fort Moultrie, but nothing is so highly prized by the writer as 
the following note from the widow of General Anderson, in 
acknowledgment of a little pamphlet printed by the writer, en- 
titled "The Flag Replaced on Sumter" : 

New York Hotel, N. Y., 

December, 11, 1SS5. 
Mr. William. A. Spicer, Providence, R. I., 

Rhode Island Vice-Piesident Sumter Club. 

Dear Sir : Accept my thanks for your very kind letter and for your pam- 
phlet which accompanied it, '-The Flag Replaced on Sumter," both of which 
were forwarded to me from Green Cove Springs. 

I often weep bitter tears that my dear husband and his services to his country 
at the moment of her greatest peril, seem so clean forgotten throughout the 
land; but now and then I am cheered by kind and pleasant words like jours, 
and I take heart again and my faith in God's promises and in my countrymen 
is renewed and strengthened. Be assured, my dear sir, that the effort of one 
of the youngest members of the Sumter Cluh to perpetuate General Anderson's 
" worthy name and fame" is fully appreciated and most highly prized by his 
widow and the mother of his children. 

Yours very sincerely, 

E. B. ANDERSON. 



Roster 




The Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island Regiments and Tenth Rhode 
Island Battery, present the usual entertaining variety in their ranks, as to 
age, position, and occupation. The average age of enlistment, it is safe to say, 
was under twenty. Many of the recruits gave their ages more than they 
actually were, fearing that they would be rejected were the correct ages known. 
The author knows personally of several of his comrades who reported as 
eighteen who were barely sixteen. Every effort has been made to make the 
" Roster" as correct as possible. 



ROSTER 



Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers. 



Field ^nd Staff. 



Colonel. 

John* Talbot Pitman. 

Captain, First Rhode Island Detached Militia, May 6, 1861 ; 
mustered out Aug. 2, 1861 ; major, Ninth Rhode Island In- 
fantry, May 26, 1862; lieutenant-colonel, June 9, 1862; 
colonel, July 3, 1862 ; mustered out, Sept. 2, 1S62; lieuten- 
ant-colonel, Eleventh Rhode Island Infantry, Oct. 1, 1862; 
mustered out, July 13, 1863. 

L ieiitenant- Colonels. 
John T. Pitman. (See Colonel) 

John Hare Powel. 

May 26, 1862, mustered in; originally served as captain Co. L; 
June 9, 1862, promoted to major; July 3, 1862, promoted 
lieutenant-colonel; Sept. 2, 1S62, mustered out. 

4G 



302 ROSTER OF THE NINTH 

Majors. 
John T. Pitman. {See Colonel.) 

John Hare Powel. {See Lieutenant-Colonel.) 

George Lewis Cooke. 

Originally served as first lieutenant, Co. L ; detached as regi- 
mental quartermaster; July 3, 1862, commissioned and mus- 
tered in as major; Sept. 2, 1862, mustered out. 

Surgeon. 
Lloyd Morton. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
Henry King. 

Chaplain. 
N. W. Taylor Root. 

Adjutant. 

Henry C. Brown. 

Originally served as second lieutenant, Co. A ; June 2, 1862, pro- 
moted adjutant. 

Quarter masters. 
George Lewis Cooke. {See Majors.) 

William McCready, Jr. 
Regimental quartermaster from May 26 to July 3, 1862. 

Sergeant- Major. 
Robert Fessenden. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 363 

Quartermaster- Sergeant. 
Alfred 0. Tilden. 

Hospital Stewan/. 
Henry E. Tyler. 

Commissary Sergeant. 
Horace G. Miller. 

Served as sergeant, Co. H ; June 9, 1862, appointed commissary 
sergreant. 



COMPANY A. 



Captain. 

Robert McCloy. 

First Lieutenant. 
Albert W. Tompkins. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Henry C. Brown. 
June 2, 1S62, appointed adjutant. 

Sergeants. 

Oliver H. Perry, John R. Anderson, 

Arnold F. Salisbury, Joseph P. Farnsworth, 

George Morris, Charles C. Crocker. 



364 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



Frederick Schneider, 
Thomas H. Holmes, 
Daniel H. Johnson, 
John McKelvey, 
William H. Chace, 



Corporals. 

George Schneider, 
Alfred Jerauld, Jr., 
Henry M. Stetson, 
Simeon B. Ramsbottom. 



Privates. 



William Bartlett, 
Samuel A. Bennett, 
Zephaniah Bennett, 
Jubal Blount, 
Edmund Bray, 
fCharles E. Buffum, 
George N. Burlingame, 
George Burns, 
William A. Carter, 
Henry H. Clark, 
Joseph H. Clark, 
Darius Cook, 
Patrick Coyle, 
Israel F. Crocker, 
Alonzo Crovvell, 
John Cullen, 
Joseph D. Davenport, 
John S. Davis, 
John T. Fanning, 
Ferdinand A. Follett, 
Thomas Forrest, 
Albert Fuller, 
Ferdinand A. Gardner, 
John Glancy, 

t Minor; di 



Michael Goodwin, 
Stephen A. Grover, 
Thomas Hallovvell, 
Henry L. Hammond, 
William Hay, 
John Hay ward, 
Thomas H. Holmes, 
Daniel A. Hopkins, 
William J. Hughes, 
James A, Kelley, 
William H. Kelley, 
Thomas J. Kennedy, 
Henry Kimpton, 
Edward Knight, 
Augustus A. Leach, 
John E. Lee, 
Thomas Locking, 
Thomas Locklin, 
John T. Lowden, 
John H. Lundy, 
Peter Lyme, 
Aldine Manier, 
William Massey, 
Charles H. Mathewson, 

ed, July, 1S62. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



165 



John McCabe, 
Peter McCabe, 
Patrick McCusker, 
John McGinnity, 
David McKelvey, 
Daniel B. McKenna, 
Amaziah B. Merchant, 
Peter Merchant, 
Hugh Muldoon, 
George W. Newell, 
Thomas Norris, 
William O'Donnell, 
John Ramsbottom, 
Patrick Ready, 
James Riley, 
George A. Roberts, 
Richard Roberts, 
A. Sylvester Rounds, 



Alonzo F. Salisbury, 
Thomas Sawyer, 
George B. Sharpies, 
James R. Sherman, 
Edward Shuttleworth, 
Lewis F. Slocum, 
William H. Slocum, 
Patrick Starrs, 
William Stewart, 
Ansel L. Sweet, 
Charles I. Sweet, 
Roger Tattersall, 
Oscar Thayer, 
John Trainor, 
Nathaniel Walker, 
Thomas Wheeler, 
James A. Williams. 
Svlvanus C. Wilson. 



COMPANY B. 

Captain. 
Henry C. Card. 



First Lieutenant. 
J. Clarke Barber. 

Second Lieutenant. 
James McDonald. 



3 66 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



William R. Lewis, 
Thomas Place, 
James H. Perrigo, 

John Tweedie, 
Nathan J. Crandall, 
Edwin R. Cottrell, 
Peleg D. Sisson, 

Pardon Babcock, 



Andrew J. Allen, 
Joshua Allen, 
William D. Babcock, 
John W. Barber, 
T. Stanton Barbour, 
Uriah Baton, 
George Bellamy, 
Andrew Bray, 
Edward C. Brown, 
E. James Buddington, 
Thomas A. Buell, 
Edward H. Burdick, 
Thomas T. Burdick, 
William H. Burdick, 
George Carmichael, 
Thomas H. Champlain, 
Stephen Coleman, 
William T. Collins, 



Sergeants. 

James M. Holmes, 
Amos L. Burdick. 

Corporals. 

Joseph Richmond, 
James A. Sisson, 
William F. Hawkins. 

Musicians. 

Daniel B. Jackson. 

Privates. 

James A. Congdon, 
John P. Crandall, 
Edward G. Crandall, 
William Davenport, 
Daniel Donovan, 
John Ecclestone, 
James A. Edwards, 
Charles H. Eldred, 
Charles H. Gavitt, 
Horace P. Gavitt, 
Dean Gould, 
Courtland T. Hall, 
Joseph Haywood, 
William Horsfall, 
Daniel B. Jackson, 
William Jackson, 
James Johnson, 
Milton P. Johnson, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



;67 



T. W. Johnson, 
William Johnson, Jr., 
David Kenneth, 
Moses D. Kinkade, 
Edmund R. Langworthy, 
George E. Leonard, 
George W. Livsey, 
John McAvoy, 
Thomas McLean, 
James McNulty, 
J. Howard Morgan, 
Nathan E. Nash, 
George P. Neugent, 
Isaac Partelovv, 



Horace L. Peckham, 
James M. Pendleton, 2d, 
George A. Richmond, 
Gilbert S. Roach, 
Everett A. Schofield, 
Nathan S. Sheffield, 
John Surber, 
Francis W. Taylor, 
Charles W. Thompson, 
John P. Trant, 
James L. Ward, 
Richard Welch, 
John B. Wells, 
William H. Wells. 



COMPANY C. 



Captain. 
John A. Bowen. 

First Lieutenant. 
George A. Spink. 

Second Lieutenant. 
William H. Potter. 



John C. Potter, 
William C. Nichols, 
Horace Remington, 



Sergeants. 

Crawford R. Williams, 
Allen E. Keech. 



:68 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



Nathan B. Whipple, 
Lewis G. Arnold, Jr. 
John Devlin, 
George C. Gilmore, 



George R. Tourjee, 



Corporals. 

John Remington, 
Hugh O'Donnell, 
Jonathan R. Weaver, 
*Hollis Taber, Jr. 

Musicians. 

Horace H. Wooclmancy 

/ J T agoner. 
Henry H. Roberts. 

Privates. 



Albert Arnold, 
Edward P. Baker, 
William H. Baker, 
Nathaniel G. Ball, 
John J. Battey, 
Allen H. Bennett, 
Jesse Bicknell, 
Joseph Bigelow, 
Samuel E. Bower), 
Peter Brown, 
William B. Browning, 
Daniel W. Cady, 
Peter Carroll, 
John Carey, 
Joseph P. Cornell, 
George W. Dawley, 
William H. Dimond, 
James F. Fanning, 
Thomas Farmer, 



* Died Augu 



Cornelius Franklin, 
Charles C. Gardner, 
Peter Goodness, 
William Hunt, 
Thomas Hughes, 
Zephaniah Jenkins, 
John D. Jordan, 
Zebulon Londeau, 
Thomas Lindsay, 
James Malaney, 
George Matteson, 
John McArthur, 
James McDonnell, 
Patrick McMann, 
Joseph Miller, 
Charles Morris, 
Henry Nichols, 
Michael Noon, 
William H. Northup, 

: t 13, 1862, in hos-pital. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



;6 9 



Felix O'Donnell, 
Frederick Owen, 
John O. Neill, 
William O'Neil, 
Robert Piatt, 
Henry Peagot, 
Charles H. Prew, 
Harrison Provost, 
John Ouigley, 
Samuel J. Randall, 
Patrick Reagan, 
Ambrose P. Rice, 
Henry H. Roberts, 
Lewis Roberts, 



Elisha Sherman, 
Elisha O. Sherman, 
Francis Smith, 
Michael Spellacy, 
George A. Spencer, 
Lewis T. Spencer, 
William C. Spencer, 
Edward Tathroe, 
Joshua W. Tibbitts, 
William H. Tucker, 
Oliver T. Wilbur, 
John Wilson, 
Alonzo G. Wood, 
Warren Young:. 



COMPANY D. 



Captain. 
John McKinlav. 

First Lieutenant. 
John Pollard. 

Second Lieutenant. 

William McCready, Jr. 

Sergeants. 



William T. Crawford, 
Thomas McCarthy, 
Israel Arnold, Jr., 

47 



Robert S. Blair, 
William T. Gildnrd. 



o/ 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



John McFadden, 
Joseph R. Stafford, 
Samuel C. Lomas, 
Horatio Giles, 

Alfred Hough, 



Corporals. 

Thomas Meagher, 
Ferdinand Haskins, 
Christopher T. Geldard, 
John Crumlay. 

Musicians. 

Charles E. Greene. 



Uriah M. Adams, 
James Aigan, 
Robert Arnett, 
Noah A. Ashworth, 
Jonathan M. Bass, 
George Birchell, 
Thomas Boyd, 
James Boyle, 
James Brennan, 
Samuel Briden, 
Alonzo Colvin, 
Lyman Colvin, 
William H. Cory, 
Andrew Cramley, 
Thomas Crumlev, 
George Davis, 
Daniel Devlin, 
George H. De Wolf, 
Peter Dolan, 
Luke Duxbury, 
David Fogarty, 
Patrick Freeman, 

t Discharged 



Privates. 

Matthew Green, 
William Greenlese, 
David Glover, 
Robert Hall, 
Thomas Hall, 
Alexander Harkness, 
Michael Hafferin, 
John Hollingsworth, 
Daniel Hoyle, 
James Jackson, 
James H. Jolly, 
Walter Loudergan, 
John McCaffrey, 
Michael McCormick, 
Neil McCourt, 
John McDevitt, 
Michael McKern, 
Cornelius Moninihan, 
Hugh McMullen, 
fBenjamin North, 
John North, 
James O'Brien, 

for disability June 2$, 1S62. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



0/ 



Henry O'Neil, 
James Parker, 
Thomas S. Parker, 
James Pollard, 
Thomas Quinin, 
William Rankin, 
Orrin G. Rawson, 
Alexander Ritchie, 
William J. Root, 
John Ryan, 



John Schofield, 
Aim on C. Shorey, 
James Smith, 
Patrick Smith, 
James Stewart, 
Walter S. Sutcliffe, 
James Wood, 
James White, 
Olney Whipple. 
Richard J. Whittle. 



COMPANY E. 



Captain. 
Isaac Place. 

First Lieutenant. 
Philip D. Hall. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Nathan D. Benton. 



Fenner Colvvell, 
George W. Haradon, 
Trowbridge Smith, 

Byron S. Thompson, 
William T. Brooks, 



Sergeants. 

George H. Johnson, 
Joseph Miett, Jr. 

Corporals. 

Martin G. Cushman, 
Henry E. Baker, 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



David Dines, 
James Jaques, 



Samuel Preston, 
Gilbert A. Thompson. 



Musician. 
Albert Beverlv 



Privates. 



Moses A. Aldrich, 
Cyrus R. Bennett, 
Henry A. Bennett, 
Jacob Butterfield, 
George W. Buxton, 
Willard D. Cohvell, 
Marcus M. Cooke, 
James Demick, 
f Edmund Esty, 
George B. Evans, 
William H. Fuller, 
John Gallagher, 
Frederic C. Gove, 
Alexander Henderson, 
Thomas Hughes. 
Thomas \V. Irons, 
George H. Johnson, 
Martin G. Lyons, 
Walter Mather, 
William J. Milan, 

\ Discharged a? 



Thomas Pryor, 
John Regan, 
Robert Sandford, 
Joseph Sedgwick, 
Osborne M. Southwick, 
Enoch Spencer, 
Thomas B. Spooner, 
Dustin D. Stevens, 
Augustus R. Steere, 
James Sullivan, 
John Sullivan, 
Winfield S. Thompson, 
Alexander Tongue, 
Charles F. Tifft, 
Joseph Wilmouth, 
George Wilson, 
Thomas D. Wilson, 
Hiram Wood, 
Joseph M. Young. 

a minor, July o, iS6j. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



COMPANY F. 



Captain. 
John M. Taylor. 

First Lieutenant. 
Randall Holden. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Richard \V. Howard. 



Edward F. Steere, 
Benjamin Hill, 
Moses Brown, 



William F. Hill, 
James R. Read, 
S. Wildes Coggeshall, 
J. Phillips Pond, 
John E. Whipple, 

David Spencer, 



William Atchison, 
Henry W. Ballou, 
Charles Ballou, 
Lillibridge Barber, 



Sergeants. 

Jeffrey G. Davis, 
Henry P. Babson, 
George T. Lamphear. 

Corporals. 

James Bushee, 
Stephen P. Steere, 
George T. Lamphear, 
Delondo Bennett. 

Musicians. 

Daniel Baxter. 

Privates. 

Wilcox Barber, 
Daniel Barney, 
fStephen L. Barney, 
George Blackington, 



\ Discharged for disability, July, rS62. 



374 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



Daniel Brayton, 
Thomas Britton, 
George Britton, 
Charles Bowers, 
William T. Brown, 
John Burns, 
Alfred Crandall, 
Frank P. Chace, 
Oliver H. Clark, 
Charles Colvin, 
George R. Congdon, 
Henry N. Cook, 
William R. Cornell, 
Benjamin Cottrell, 
William Davenport, 
Albert Davis, 
Cortes A. Darling, 
Michael Fleming, 
Samuel K. Gardiner, 
fRichard Gibney, 
Samuel Graves, 
Thomas B. Greene, 
Edward Harvey, 
Sylvan us C. Holbrook, Jr., 
Thomas L. Hopkins, 
Albert F. Howard, 
Alfred A. Jackson, 
Samuel C. Jenckes, 
Arnold Jennerson, 
George C. Johnson, 
Thomas Johnson, 



Jesse D. Keach, 
Edward King, 
Mosier Lock, 
Bernhard Morris, 
George A. Nichols, 
John Niles, 
Rufus H. Northup, 

fjohn O'Brien, 
Thomas Owen, 
H. B. Perry, 
B. Ray Phelon, 
Elisha Place, 
William Price, 
Henry Price, 
G. W. Henry Pollard, 
George B. Pollard, 
William H. Rice, 
Richard R. Richmond, 
Nelson Searle, 
Simon G. Sherman, 
Thomas Sipple, 
Otis W. Smith, 
Thomas L. Smith, 
Javis Smith, 
George Smith, 
James E. Spencer, 
George W. Spencer, 
John T. Spencer, 
Otis Spencer, 
Edward F. Steere, 

fAlonzo P. Stone, 



f Discharged as a minor. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



375 



William Taylor, 
Henry B. Terry, 
B. Greene Tew, 
Robert \V. Townshend, 



B. Egbert Vaughan, 
Jerome Weaver, 
John Westgate, 
Edward J. Wilbur. 



COMPANY G. 



Captain. 
Charles L. Watson, 

First L ten tcua n t. 
Francello G. Jillson. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Henry J. Whitaker. 



Austin J. Scott, 
James B. Streeter, 
William T. Smith, 

Horace A. Scott, 
James A. Sweet, 
William P. Davis, 
A. Sayles Clarke, 



Sergeants. 

Enos A. Clarke, 
Daniel E. Wilcox. 

Corporals. 

George H. Baker, 
Edwin W. Whipple, 
Sanford A. Robbins, 
George W. Thayer. 

Musician. 
William M. Goff. 



J/ 



76 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



Privates. 



Jenckes Bartlett, 
Allen F. Baxter, 
Alba Bellows, 
Asa Bennett, 
George W. Bolton, 
Charles W. Bradford, 
Henry W. Brown, 
Charles A. Burlingame, 
Alexander Campbell. 
Albert Carey, 
Edwin Carter, 
Christopher Carter, 
Charles A. Chase, 
Foster H. Clark, 
Henry Congdon, 
Aaron Congdon, 
Edmond Congdon, 
Timothy Curran. 
John H. Durgin, 
Caleb Freeman, 
Irving Gaskill, 
Oscar F. Gifford, 
Abraham Greaves, 
John Green, 
Richard Green, 
William Henry Harrison, 
Thomas Healy, 



George J. Hendrick, 
Terny Hogan, 
Albert Hudson, 
William A. Jenckes, 
Thomas Judge, 
Samuel Longley, 
George Law, 
Alexander Levine, 
Thomas Lewis, 
Luke Lynch, 
William E. Mason, 
Samuel Parrish, 
Hiram Parker, 
Charles A. Pierce, 
George S. Potter, 
Thomas Prior, 
Thomas Riley, 
Henry C. Sayles, 
Marcus L. Smith, 
Horatio I. Stockbridge, 
Patrick O. Sullivan, 
Thomas Sullivan, 
James Swindles, 
Isaac S. Tanner, 
Benjamin Tourtellott, 
Joseph H. Wheelock, 
Luke A. Wood. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



0/ 



COMPANY H 



Captain. 
Henry F. Jenks. 

First Lieutenant. 
Frank Allen. 

Second Lieutenant. 
George A. Bucklin. 



Edmund Crocker, 
Horace G. Miller, 
Latimer LeFavour, 



George P. Grant, 
Edward P. Lowden, 
Alanson P. Wood, 
Edward Thayer, 



Lyman A. Aldrich, 
William T. Arnold, 
John H. Almy, 
Frederick A. Baker 



Sergeants. 

Charles E. Adams, 
Ambrose P. Rice, 
Harrison H. Richardson. 

Corporals. 

Joseph Harrison, , 

W. C. Benedict, 
Richard Eldredge, Jr., 
Jabez W. Pitcher. 

Musician. 
George F. Olney. 



Privates. 



George F. Ballon, 
Stephen J, Ballou, 
Phanuel Bishop, 
Jerome D. Bliss, 



51 



78 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



Horatio N. S. Booth, 
fCharles D. Bray, 
Joseph A. Brown, 
Andrew A. Buckley, 
Charles H. Bullock, 
Frank H. Carpenter, 
Charles E. Carpenter, 
David E. Cash, 
George H. Cole, 
Warren F. Cook, 
Henry Crocker, 
Robert E. Curran, 
fByron E. Daggett, 
Benjamin A. Dennis, 
John H. Eaton, 
David L. Fales, 
James H. Fairbanks, 
Stephen F. Fisk, 
Frank D. Fisk, 
George H. Foster, 
David A. Gage, 
William H. Gardner, 
Luke Glancy, 
Joseph B. Gooding, 
Thomas A. Gregson, 
*Richard Gridley, 
Albert F. Howe, 
Charles A. Ide, 



George T. Jeffers, 
Pardon Jenks, Jr., 
Edwin Leach, 
Charles A. Mathewson, 
Walter Merry, 
George Murphy, 
Charles W. Xickerson, 
Edward A. Patt, 
Henry N. Pervear, 
Stephen A. Peck, 
Charles F. Pierce, 
Henry A. Pierce, 
Jabez W. Pitcher, 
Joseph Rice, 
Robert Saunders, 
Joseph W. Seagraves, 
Frank S. Shove, 
William H, Slocum, 
Smith Tattersall, 
William G. Thurber, 
fTate Timony, 
Frank M. Tyler, 
Percival D. Warburton, 
Henry H. Welden, 
Hamlet Wheaton, 
John F. Whiting, 
Charles D. Wood, 
Anthonv G. Wood. 



t Discharged as a minor. 

* Discharged on surgeon's certificate. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



379 



COMPANY I. 



Captain. 
Samuel Pearce. 

First Lieutenants. 

George Lewis Cooke, 
William H. Surgens. 

Second Lieutenants. 

William H. Surgens, 
Horace G. Barrus. 

Sergeants. 



Horace G. Barrus, 

Samuel B. Cole, 
Luther Cole, Jr., 



Jeremiah I. Greene, Jr., 
Caleb S. Carr, 
Frederic A. Driscoll, 
George L. C. Wheaton, 
Nathaniel T. Sanders, 

John W. Hubbard, 



John P. Abbott, 
Albert J. Adams, 



Charles H. Rounds, 

Haile Turner, 

James A. Manchester. 

Coif orals. 

Peleg Bosworth, Jr.. 
Isaac Gorham, 
Thomas F. Marion, 
Benjamin B. Martin. 

Musicians. 

Samuel D. Maxwell. 

Privates. 

A. C. Aldrich, 
Joseph W. Aldrich, 



iSo 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



William A. Arnold, 
Isaac Barn urn, 
John Booth, 
William Booth, 
Henry A. Bowen, 
William Bradshaw, 
Mark P. Brown, 
John H. Buffi ngton, 
Charles H. Bullock, 
Robert H. Bullock, Jr., 
Henry T. Burr, 
Norman G. Burr, 
Elijah Calland, 
William Champlin, 
Thomas Clarke, 
Thomas Clifford, 
Edwin J. Collamore, 
Robert Crowther, 
Thomas A. Curran, 
Willard B. Drown, 
James B. Drown, 
James F. Follett, 
George C. Franklin, 
Nathaniel W. Gushee, 
George Guyette, 
Charles D. Horton, 



George H. Hunter, 
R. H. Johnson, 
James H. Johnson, 
John Kelly, 
Wilson Little, 
Theodore Medbury, 
William H. Myers, 
Galen F. Nichols, 
Thomas W. D. Peck, 
James E. Peck, 
Allen P. Peck, 
Joseph Price, 
Robert Ridgwell, 
Eugene I. Roffee, 
Matthew Ryan, 
John P. Salisbury, 
Jeremiah Sheehan, 
A. J. Shurtleff, 
^Joseph N. Simonds, 
Walter F. Thompson, 
Win field. S. Tompkins, 
James E. Viall, 
George W. Walker, 
John R. Wheaton, 
Barton J. Whipple, 
William Williams. 



* Died September, 1S62, at Warren, R. I. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



;8i 



COMPANY K 



Captain. 
James R. Holden. 

First Lieutenant. 
William H. Gardner. 

Seeond Lieutenant. 
George H. Burnham. 



Albert B. Streeter, 
George H. Abbott, 
James F. Movvry, 

William C. Clark, 
Samuel B. T. Crandall, 
Alonzo A. Greenman, 
Daniel J. Viall, 

*Sylvester B. Arnold, 
William Ash, 
William Baker, 
George B. Bromer, 
Job Butler, 
San ford Buxton, 
Joseph C. Clarke, 
John Cooney, 
Patrick Coyne, 



Sergeants. 

George H. Allen, 
Ambrose L. Atwood. 

Corporals. 

David Briggs, 
George W. Allen, 
Thomas Johnson. 

Privates. 

Patrick Fanning, 
Peter Gormley, 

William Groves, 
Joseph A. Green, 
James Haggett, 
James Hughes, 
David W. James, 
James Kelley, 
Patrick Kennedy, 



Died August 2, 1S02, in hospital. 



;S2 



ROSTER OF THE NINTH 



William W. Maxon, 
Joseph Mechling, 
Robert F. Northup, 
George Nye, 
Nathan T. Oatley, 
John R. Oatley, 
Welcome A. Potter, 
Harry A. Richardson, 



George W. Richmond, 
Jesse W. Richmond, 
William H. H. Swan, 
John M. Taylor, Jr., 
Brightman Tucker, 
Nehemiah Watson, 
Isaac Westcott, 
William Young:. 



COMPANY L. 



Captains. 

John Hare Powel. (See Lieutenant-Colonels.) 

Benjamin L. Slocum. 

First Lieutenant. 
William R. Landers. 

Seeond Lieutenant. 
William H. King. 

Sergeants. 

William M. Minkler, 
Thomas S. Nason. 

Corporals. 

Schuyler Van Renssellaer, 
William C. Rogers, 



Edmund W. Fales, 
Lance De Jough, 
George H. Tabor, 

Sumner Lincoln, 
William L. Pfeiffer, 



RHODE ISLAM) VOLUNTEERS. 



3° 3 



Frank Morgan, 
Sigourney B. Goffe, 



William S. Slocum, 
Benjamin A. Peckham. 



Musicians. 

Cassius M. C. Freeborn, Christopher Gladding. 



Theodore Almy, 
Samuel Babcock, 
William H. Barber, 
Alexander N. Barker, 
Henry B. Bateman, 
Thomas Blacklock, 
Edward T. Bosworth, 
James M. Brown, 
Benjamin T. Brown, 
George M. Brown, 
George F. Boone, 
Charles G. Burnett, 
William F. Barlow, 
Truman Burdick, 
Thomas Campbell, 
Robert W. Chappell, 
Samuel Clark, 
William E. Coggeshall, 
Daniel C. Denhan, 
James Dewick, 
Theophilus C. Dunn, 
John B. Durfee, 
Benjamin B. Durfee, 
John Fludder, 
Orland Freeborn, 



Privates. 



Henry T. French, 
Michael Garrick, 
John E. Goffe, 
John Gould, 2d, 
Robert W. Gould, 
George B. Harrington, 
Henry I. Hudson, 
James Melville, 
John L. Nason, 
Michael O'Brien, 
Jefferson O' Riley, 
David Peabody, 
Alexander Peckham, 
Charles T. Prouty, 
Randall Pullen, 
John Ramsden, 
Ferdinand S. Read, 
Frank Rice, 
Henry Ridell, 
Edward R. Seagur, 
Albert G. Sherman, 
Thomas W. Sherman, 
James Simmons, 
Edmund D. Slocum, 
John H. Stacy, 



;84 ROSTER OF THE NINTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS. 

Edmund Stanhope, John Vicars, 

Frank M. Swan, William W. Wales, 

John W. Tayer, Nicholas A. Wilkey, 

John E. Tabor, Edward V. Wescott, 

Edward H. Tilley, Thomas Young. 
William S. Vose, 



ROSTER 



Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers. 



Field axf> Staff. 



Colonels. 
Zenas R. Bliss. 

Military Record from /-; < io ■ 

He was appointed a cadet at West Point in 1850 by the Hon. 
Nathan F. Dixon, of Rhode Island. Graduated in 1854. 
Was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the First Infan- 
try and ordered to Fort Duncan, Texas ; served there till 
June, 1855 ; was transferred to Fort Chadbourne, Texas, and 
was adjutant of the battalion en route to that post. Was 
promoted second lieutenant, Eighth United States Infantry, 
and ordered to Fort Davis, Texas, and served there till 1857 
or 1858, most of that time in command of a detachment of 
mounted infantry and engaged in scouting for hostile Indians. 
Was transferred with company to Fort Hudson, Texas, and 
to various other posts on that frontier till i860, when he was 
promoted first lieutenant, and ordered to the command of his 
49 



$S6 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

company and the post of Fort Quitman, on the Rio Grande. 
From 1856 was in command of a detachment of mounted 
infantry, and also served in command of a company, and the 
posts of Forts Hudson, Clark and Quitman, and as post quar- 
termaster, commissary and adjutant at various posts. 

In March, 1S61, while in command of Fort Quitman, he 
received orders to march to San Antonio, Texas, for the pur- 
pose of being transferred to the North. He abandoned the 
post and marched about forty miles, when he received orders 
to await the arrival of Colonel Reeve, Eighth Infantry, who 
was on the march to the coast with other companies of the 
regiment. He returned to his post, and on the 5th of April 
joined Colonel Reeve's command and marched to San An- 
tonio, Texas, a distance of about six hundred and fifty miles. 
On the 9th of May, 1S61, when they were about fifteen miles 
from San Antonio, they were met by a large force of over two 
thousand men, under rebel Gen. Earl Van Dorn, consisting 
of a regiment of infantry, one of cavalry, a battery of six 
pieces of artillery and an independent company of about one 
hundred men. On leaving their posts they had been led to 
believe they were to be transferred to the North, and were 
ordered to take only sufficient ammunition to protect them- 
selves from the Indians, and to take rations from post to 
post. When met by the rebels they had not, according to 
their orders, more than ten or fifteen rounds of ammunition per 
man, and only one day's rations. An unconditional surrender 
was demanded, and Lieutenant Bliss was ordered by Colonel 
Reeve to inspect the rebel troops, to see if they were well 
armed and equipped, and to count or estimate the number of 
men After some difficulty he did so and made his report 
that they were well armed, etc. They had previously cap- 
tured the arsenal at San Antonio, and supplied themselves 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 38/ 

from the stores there. A council of war was held, of which 
Lieutenant Bliss was not a member, and the command was 
surrendered. He was a junior first lieutenant, and had noth- 
ing to do with the surrender any more than any private, but was 
held as much responsible for it as any one. No officer who 
was with the command at the time of surrender was promoted 
during the war, though several of them received the strongest 
recommendations for promotion for gallantry and good con- 
duct on frequent occasions. 

He remained a prisoner of war at San Antonio till Febru- 
ary, 1S62, when he was ordered to Richmond, Va., for 
exchange. There were but three left of the officers captured 
in May, the others having succeeded in getting North on 
parole. On their arrival in Richmond they were shut up in 
the negro jail and remained there till April 5th, when they 
were exchanged, having been held prisoners of war eleven 
months. 

In May, 1862, he was appointed colonel of the Tenth Rhode 
Island Volunteers and served with it till August, when he 
was appointed colonel of the Seventh Rhode Island and re- 
mained colonel of it till honorably mustered out after the 
close of the war. He commanded the regiment on the Fred- 
ericksburg campaign, and at the first battle of Fredericks- 
burg, and was recommended by all his superiors for promo- 
tion to the rank of brigadier-general, for gallantry and skillful 
handling of his regiment under fire. 

In 1865 he went with the corps to Kentucky and thence 
to Vicksburg and Jackson, Miss., on the campaign after 
Johnston, and at the conclusion of it was recommended, first 
in the corps, for promotion to the rank of brigadier, and his 
promotion, with others, asked for by General Grant. But 
he did not receive it. He returned with the corps to Ken- 



388 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

tucky, and started for Knoxville with the corps in the winter 
of 1863 and 1S64, but at the request of General Ammen, 
commanding the district or department, he was ordered to 
the command of the District of Middle Tennessee, and re- 
mained in command of it till the corps was withdrawn from 
Tennessee. It was an important command. He had a large 
post and several regiments, and protecting about two million 
rations for Sherman's army and a large extent of country. 
At the end of the campaign he was again recommended for 
promotion to the rank of brigadier-general, but did not get it 
though all others recommended did. 

He went with the corps to Annapolis, Md., and was as- 
signed to the command of the First Brigade, Second Division, 
Ninth Army Corps, and commanded in the \\ 'ilderness, where 
he was brevetted for gallant and meritorious services. He 
was in command of the brigade to Spottsylvania, where he 
was injured by his horse jumping on him in crossing a stream 
in the night. He commanded the brigade at the mine which 
was constructed by a regiment of his brigade, and at the 
explosion of the mine and ensuing battle, and received a very 
complimentary letter from his division commander, Gen. 
Robert B. Potter. He remained in command of the brigade 
to some time in the early fall when he was obliged to take a 
sick leave. After being absent sick some weeks, he was placed 
on light duty on a board of officers, as president, and remained 
on that duty till the close of the war in the following spring. 

After being mustered out of the volunteer service he was 
on recruiting service, and in command of Schuylkill Arsenal 
and Fort Porter, N. Y., till May, 1S66, when he went with 
his company to South Carolina and was assigned to the com- 
mand of the district of Chester, in that State. He was 
Acting Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Freedmen 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 389 

and Abandoned Lands, provost judge and provost marshal, 
etc., and had charge of all the civil and military business of 
that district. In August he was ordered on recruiting ser- 
vice, receiving the detail for having served longer in the 
field during the rebellion than any officer in his regiment. 
In August, 1867, he was promoted major of the Thirty-ninth 
Infantry, and commanded the posts of Jackson Barracks, 
Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and Ship Island, Miss., till 
1870, when he was transferred with the regiment to Texas, 
and commanded the posts of Forts Duncan, Clark, Stockton, 
Davis and Bliss, and for more than a year the regiment. In 
1878 he was ordered on duty in command of the principal 
depot, general recruiting service, David's Island, New York 
Harbor, and having been promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 
Nineteenth Infantry, he was in 1880 ordered to the command 
of Fort Hays, Kansas. In 18S1 he was transferred with the 
regiment to Texas, and commanded the post of Ringgold 
Barracks. In 1882 he went on sick leave and at the expira- 
tion of it returned to Texas and commanded Forts Duncan 
and Clark, and for more than a year the regiment, till in 
1886 he was promoted colonel of the Twenty-fourth Infantry, 
and has commanded it and the posts of Fort Supply, Indian 
Territory, and Fort Bayard, New Mexico, to the present 
time. 

Colonel Bliss has been in command of an independent 
organization, district, brigade, regiment or post since i860, 
except for about six or eight months, and has not been 
absent from his regiment on detached service but once since 
1867, and has served longer on the southwestern frontier 
than any officer ever in the service. 



390 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

James Shaw, Jr., 

Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General. 

Entered service as lieutenant-colonel, Tenth Rhode Island Volun- 
teers, May 26, 1862; promoted colonel, Aug. 6, 1862, served 
in defences of Washington ; mustered out by reason of expir- 
ation of term of service, Sept. 1, 1862. Re-entered service 
as lieutenant-colonel, Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers, Dec. 
31, 1862 ; served with Ninth Army Corps before Fredericks- 
burg, at Newport News and in Kentucky, and with General 
Carter at Somerset, Ky. ; mustered out, expiration of term 
of service, July 29, 1863. Went before "Casey's Board," 
passed as colonel, being the fifth of that grade out of 700 
examined, and was appointed colonel, Seventh United States 
Colored Troops, Oct. 27, 1863 ; joined for duty and assumed 
command, Nov. 12, 1863, at Camp Stanton, Md. Served con- 
tinuously with the regiment or in command of the forces to 
which it was attached, as follows : Commanding post at 
Jacksonville, Fla , and brigade on expeditions to Cedar Creek 
and Camp Melton ; commanding First Brigade, Third Divi- 
sion, Tenth Army Corps, Aug. 13 to 21, Aug. 25 to Sept. 25, 
and Oct. 26 to Dec. 4, 1864 ; commanding First Brigade, 
Second Division, Twenty-fifth Army Corps, from and after 
Dec. 4, 1864; commanding Second Division, Twenty-fifth 
Army Corps, Feb. 21 to March 13, 1865 ; commanding sub- 
district of Victoria, Tex., from Jan. 16, 1S66, to Feb. 21, 
1866; commanding Central District of Texas, Feb. 21 to 
May 9, 1866. Contusion on head from rifle ball in action, 
Sept. 30, 1864. Brigadier-general by brevet "for meritorious 
services during the war," to date from March 13, 1865. 
Discharged with the regiment at Baltimore, Md., Nov. 16, 
1 866. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 39 1 

L ieit tenant- Colonels. 

James Shaw, Jr. {See Colonel.) 

William M. Hale. 

(Promoted from captain. Company I. Augusl ti, [862.) 

Majors. 
Charles H. Merriman. 

(Acting till June 9, 1S62.) 

Jacob Babbitt. 

(Killed at the first battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December, 1S62 1 

Adjutants. 

Benjamin F. Thurston. 

Acting till June 9, 1862. ) 

John F. Tobey. 

(Served as first lieutenant Company K.) 

Quartermasters. 
James H. Armington. 

(Resigned July 19, [S62. 

Winthrop De Wolf (acting). 
Charles W. Angell. 

(Fir>t lieutenant and quartermaster, July 25, 1862.) 

Surgeon. 

George D. Wilcox (major). 

Assistant Surgeon. 

Albert G. Sprague (first lieutenant.) 

Chaplain. 

A. Huntington Clapp. 



39 2 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

Sergeant-Majors. 
John F. Tobev. 

(Acting till June 9, 1S62.) 

Edward K. Glezen. 

Quartermaster- Sergeant. 
Lysandek Flagg. 

Commissary Sergeant. 
James O. Swan. 

Hospital Steward. 
Charles G. King. 



COMPANY A. 

Captain. 
William E. Taber. 

First Lieutenant. 
Joseph L. Bennett, Jr. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Leander C. Belcher. 

Sergeants. 

William A. James, Sullivan H. Dawley, 

Pembroke S. Eddy, Daniel D. Bucklin. 

Ambrose R. Peck, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



39; 



Corporals. 

William W. Thompson, Eugene F. Phillips, 



Albert C. Winsor, 
George W. S. Burroughs, 
Joseph Smith, 
Joseph C. Cheetham, 

William H. Aldrich, 
t Frank H. Angell, 
* William F. Atvvood, 

Henry B. Barrows, 

Joseph E. Blake, 

Nathan S. Blake, 

William T. Brown, 

John Buchanan, 

Robert Charnley, 

Daniel E. Corev, 

Isaac Dakin, 

Charles H. Dexter, 

William H. Dingwell, 

Barnard M. Eddy, 

John Farrell, 

Franklin B. Ham, 

Frank T. Hazlewood, 
fWilliam H. Heath, 

Wendell P. Hood, 
fjames B. Horton, 

John H. Johnson, 
fjohn Larramore, 

Edwin Morse, 



Caleb C. Greene, Jr., 
Godfrey Greene, Jr., 
John H. Johnson. 



Privates. 



In man A. Mo wry, Jr., 

fjames Murphy, 
Michael O'Connell, 
Ebenezer Peck, 
Joseph S. Phipps, 
Silas W. Plimpton, Jr., 
Ashael Potter, 
Adam Pomfret, 

fOwen H. Quinland, 
James Redfern, 
Charles H. Saunders, 
John Shawcross, 
Henry B. Shearer, 

fEben Thing, 
Orlando P. Thompson, 
Reuben L. Thornton, 

f John Torrance, 
George R. Waite, 
John A. Waite, 
Lewis C. Whittier, 

f Frank H. Williams, 
Charles Wilson, 
Luther T. Win slow. 



* Died at Georgetown hospital, June 29, 1S62. 
t Discharged as a minor, July ^, 1S62. 

50 



394 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

COMPANY B. 

Captain. 

Elisha Dyer. 

May 4, 1842, adjutant-general, State of Rhode Island ; honorably 
discharged, May 4, 1847; 1857, Governor of the State of 
Rhode Island; 1861, captain, Fourth Ward Company, First 
Regiment Rhode Island National Guard ; May 26, 1862, 
mustered in captain, Co. B, Tenth Regiment Rhode Island 
Volunteers; Sept. 1, 1862, mustered out of service. 

First Lieutenants. 
Samuel H. Thomas. 

(August n, 1S62. promoted to captain Company I.) 

William C. Chace. 

Second Lieutenants. 
William C. Chace. 

(August 11, 1S62, promoted to first lieutenant.) 

Charles F. Phillips. 

(August 11. 1S62. promoted from first sergeant Company B.) 

Sergeants. 
Charles F. Phillips, Charles L. Stafford, 

Henry B. Franklin, Eben W. McGlaulin, 

Nathaniel B. Chace, George T. Baker. 

Corporals. 

Samuel W. Church, Barnabas J. Chace, 

Nathan H. Baker, Addison W. Goffe, 

John Tetlow, Jr., John B. Kelley, 

William P. Vaughan, Charles H. Scott. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



395 



Musician. 
Edward M. Ga<re. 



Frederick Alexander, 
Samuel A. W. Arnold, 
Joshua M. Addeman, 
Charles H. Anthony, 
Thomas Burlingame, 
De Forest Brown, 
John G. Browning, 
James W. Blackwood, 
William W. Bliss, 
Horace K. Blanchard, 

fjesse AI. Bush, 
Charles H. Clarke, 
Charles M. Corbin, 
Charles C. Cragin, 
William P. Cragin, 
James T. Cook, 
Forrest F. Emerson, 
James F. Field, 
George AI. Fanning, 

f Byron Harris, 
Edwin B. Fiske, 
Frank Frost, 
Henry G. Gay, 
Charles B. Greene, 
Charles T. Greene, 
Francis Gould, 



Privates. 

George W. Handy, 

fWilliam H. Hawks, 
Robert B. Holden, 
John S. Holmes, 
Charles E. Hosmer, 

t David Hunt, Jr., 
Enoch F. Hoxie, 

fGeorge A. Jenckes, 
George P. Kenyon, 
Joseph W. Lake, 
Charles AI. Latham, 
Henry S. Latham, Jr., 
Dean S. Linnell, 
Richard P. Lobdell, 
Benjamin T. Marble, 

•Matthew AI. Aleggett, 
Charles S. McCreading, 
William H. Moffitt, 
James Nicholson, 
Charles E. R. Page, 

t Allen G. Peck, 
Addison Parker, Jr., 
John F. Pierce, 
Owen S. Pond, 
Thomas T. Potter, 
Samuel H. Pratt, 



♦August iS, 1862, died in hospital, Fort Pennsylvania, D. C. 
t July S, 1S62, discharged as :i minor. 



396 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

Samuel G. Rawson, George H. Spat-hawk, 

John A. Reynolds, *William A. Spicer, 

Dana B. Robinson, Franklin A, Steere, 

George W. Robinson, fFrank F. Tingley, 

William W. Salisbury, fGeorge E. Thompson, 

Livingston Scott, James R. D. Thompson, 

Orville B. Seagrave, Benjamin \V. Wilbour. 
Thomas J. Smith, 



COMPANY C. 



Captain. 

Jeremiah M. Vose. 

First Lieutenant. 
John E. Bradford. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Caleb B. Harrington. 

Sergeants. 

Henry N. Stevens, Harry D. Perkins, 

Daniel B. Rodman, Joseph W. Padelford. 

Amos G. Thomas, 



* July 1, 1S62, detached on special service at General Pope's headquarters. 
t July S, 1S62, discharged as a minor. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 397 

Corporals, 

Joseph W. Bradford, Caleb E. Thayer, 

William C. Angell, William B. Durfee. 

Joshua Hunt, 

Musician. 

fjoshua H. Thomas. 

Privates. 

William Allen, Daniel E. Kiley, 

John Atkinson, William H. Leonard, 

Ezra Bisbec, George W. Lewis, 

James Bowden, Theodore F. Lewis, 

fWilliam T. Boyden, . Rice A. Miller, 

Edward L. Brown, Edmund J. Munroe, 

John A. Brown, Thomas B. Munroe, 

fThomas A. Brown, George A. Pettis, 

Charles R. Burke, George P. Rose, 

James E. Campbell, Frank Seamans, 

William B. Durfee, Stephen A. Shaw, 

George Eagan, Silas Sherman, Jr., 

Jerome B. Farnum, Henry H. Steadman, 

John H. Gardner, Elisha W. Sweet, 

Ellis T. Hay ward, George L. Thurber, 

Albert F. Hoxic, James Tomman, 

John L. Hussey, William Tremble, 

Gilbert A. Irons, John H. Tyler, 

Nathan Jacques, James H. Waterman, 

Isaac C. Kendall, Andrew J. Williams, 

John E. Kenyon, Ferdinand A. Williams. 

t |ulv 7, 1S62, discharged for disability. 



39§ 



ROSTER OF THE TENTH 



COMPANY D. 



Captains. 
Charles H. Dunham. 

(Acting till June S, 1862.) 

William S. Smith. 

Firs t L ien tena n ts . 
James H. Armington. 

(Resigned July 19, 1S62.) 

William S. Smith. 

(June S, 1S62, promoted to captain.) 

Winthrop De Wolf. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Winthrop De Wolf. 

(July 25, 1862, promoted to first lieutenant.) 

Charles W. Angell. 

(July 25, 1S62. promoted from private.) 



Thomas A. Starkey, 
Charles S. Mathewson, 
Edward W. Brown, 
Thomas F. Tobey, 

Howard O. St urges, 
Henry A. Foster, 
George H. Daniels, 
Edward N. Gould, 



Sergeants. 

fSamuel R. Dorrance, 
Daniel Bush, 
William H. H. Brayman. 

Corporals. 

Philip Kelley, 
Brockholst Mathewson, 2d, 
Frederic Buttendorf, 
Edward K. Thompson. 



7 July 15, 1S62, discharged on surgeon's certificate. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



399 



Privates. 



Edward Aborn, 
George W. Adams, 
Nelson W. Aldrich, 
Willard J.Allen, 
Frederic J. Armington, 
fWilliam Whitman Bailey, 
Alfred H. Barber, Jr., 
James H. Barney, 
George B. Barrows, 
George B. Binney, 
George D. Briggs, 
Samuel T. Brown, 
Herman Buttendorf, 
George Bucklin, 
Levi L. Burdon, 
John G. Burro ugh, 
John H. Cacly, 
Henry T. Chace, 
Edward C. Clarke, 
Peleg Clarke, Jr., 
Harry Castello, 
Eben B. Crane, 
Samuel S. Davis, 
Charles H. DeWolf, 
J. Halsey DeWolf, 
John K. Dorrance, 
James D. Dougherty, 
Henry P. Eldridge, 
James M. Flagg, 
Charles O. Giles, 



Albert E. Ham, 
Henry A. Hamilton, 
William A. Harris, 
Frederic H. Hedge, Jr., 
Charles H. Hidden, 
William H. Hubbard, 
Lucien E. Kent, 
George W. Kennedy, 
Albert B. Kimball, 
Henry J. Levalley, 
Thomas Livingston, 
Hugh McGovern, 
Norman N. Mason, 
Frank S. Mead, 
S. Erastus Merchant, 
Joshua Mellen, 
James Morning, Jr., 
Elisha C. Mo wry, 
Charles K. Newcomb, 
William R. Okie, 
Edward S. Parker, 
Robert H. Paine, 
J. Haradon Peck, 
John Pitman, Jr., 
John Anson Price, 
John M. Richmond, 
Christopher Rhodes, 
John R. Sisson, 
Herman C. Stillwell, 
Charles M. Smith, 



tjuly 15, 1S62, discharged 



400 ROSTER OF THE TENTH 

John E. Smith, Joseph Ward, 

John R. Smith, George C. Webster, 

fSolomon Smith, *Charles H. Wildman, 
Edward K. Thompson, William L. Wickes. 

Robert Thompson, 



COMPANY E. 



Captain. 
Hopkins B. Cady. 

First Lieutenant. 
Stephen Thurber. 

Seeond Lieutenant. 
Moses O. Darling. 

Sergeants. 

John A. Jeffrey, William Stone, 

Raymond W. Cahoone, Frank Holclen. 

Ray G. Burlingame, 

Corporals. 

Orsmus A. Taft, J. Collins Gould, 

Isaac S. Burke, Nathan T. Robinson, 

Joseph C. Whiting, Jr., Ira R. Wilbur, 

Welcome B. Darling, William A. H. Grant. 

* July i, 1S02, detached on special service at General Pope's headquarters. 
t J ul y 'Si 1S62, discharged on surgeon's certificate. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



4OI 



Musician. 
Amos B. Sherman. 



Samuel S. Baker, 
John Bishop, 
James B. Brogden, 
Chauncey Brown, 
Joseph R. Burrows, 

f Arthur Burt, 
Charles H. Burt, 
Christopher A. Cacly, 
Walter D. Colwell, 
Lewis E. Davis, 
Samuel Dunkerly, 
John F. Durfee, 
James A. Foster, 
Joseph B. Hayward, 
William H. Henshaw, 

f Edwin Herrick, 
Michael Hickey, 
Joseph H. Horr, 
Theodore Horton, 
George W. Horton, 
Henry H. James, 



Privates. 

fF. M. Johnson, 
Daniel Kelly, 

|A. W. Ladd, 
George W. Lindsay, 
Thomas A. Manchester, 

jC. W. Mason, 
Edward T. Nichols, 

f Henry W. Pearce, 
Ellery W. Price, 
John Russell, 
John Sawyer, 
Job W. Sherman, 
William H. Sherman, 2d, 
William Simmons, 
Charles A. Sweet, 
Nathan J. Sweetland, 
Charles J. Tourtellott, 
Gilbert P. Vallett, 
William H. White, 
Henry A. Well man, 
Henrv S. Yarwood. 



f T u 'v, 1S62. discharged as a minor. 



51 



4-02 



ROSTER OF THE TENTH 



COMPANY F, 



Captain. 
Benjamin* W. Harris. 

First L ieu tenan t. 

Orville P. Jones, 

Second L ien ten a n t. 
George \V. Fairbanks. 



Joel Metcalf, Jr., 
Charles A. Barbour, 
Charles H. Worsley, 

William E. Thurston, 
Samuel A. Whelden, 
William W. Crandall, 
Charles E. Carnes, 



John Buckley, 
George N. Capron, 
Michael Carlin, 
James Collins, 
James Curran, 
John Drugan, 
Patrick Fay, 
Joseph Field, 



Sergeants. 

Charles G. Ingraham, 

George T. Bowen. 

Corporals. 

Thomas H. Shannon, 
Andrew Greenhalgh, 
James Ferguson, 
William H. Luther. 

Privates. 

John Goucl, 
William D. Gardiner, 
James Hanney, 
John Hannifen, 
Edward Healey, 
George C. Luther, 
John McDonnell, 
James McElroy, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 

Samuel Meegan, Michael J. Ryan, 

Peter Mullen, John Rouch, 

William Mullen, Joseph Simons, 

John Niles, Simon Smith, 

Andrew O'Hare, Henry Sherman, 

David O'Hare, Solomon Taylor, 

Charles O'Neil, Charles E. Tetlow, 

William Piatt, James Welch, 

Seaman Pattinson, Henry Zuill. 
James W. Randall, 



403 



COMPANY G. 



Captain. 

Albert Crawford Greene. 

First Lieutenant. 
James H. Allen. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Eben Burlingame. 

Sergeants. 

John B. Benson, Albert J. Manchester, 

Philip C. Gray, Andrew J. Dexter. 

Edmund W. Hawkins, 

Corporals, 

Charles H. Allen, Charles F. Northup, 

George Crittenden, Franklin Cooley, 



4°4 



ROSTER OF THE TENTH 



Charles H. Jordan, 
William C. Thurston, 



Asahel H. Harris, 
James A. Peckham. 



Rlusician. 
John F. Parks. 



George M. Adams, 
George F. Aldrich, 
Thomas W. Angell, 
John R. Atwood, 
Stephen A. Barry, 
Henry N. Brown, 
Henry R. Brown, 
Greenleaf D. Brown, 
Isaac Brown, 
Joseph E. Brown, 
Gustavus B. Burlingame, 
Hiram Brand, 
John R. Burke, 
David R. Campbell, 
Patrick Cashman, 
George Chace, 
George Chatterton, Jr., 
Richard Clarke, 
James Doran, 
William W. Eddy, 
Erwin S. Eggleston, 
Pardon B. S. Fords, 
George W. Franklin, 



Privates. 

fFrederick A. Fry, 
Albert L. Greene, 
Samuel H. Hopkins, 
Erastus M. Hunt, 
William G. Hynds, 
Royal E. Jones, 
George Kellogg, 
Frank R. Lewis, 

tAlbert A. McDougald, 
John E. Mathewson, 
Dennis McLaughlin, 
Lewis A. Medbury, 
Frank B. Mott, 
Thomas E. Xoonan, 
Benjamin F. Nicholas, 
George W. Nicholas, 
Charles E. Osborne, 
Allen Paine, 
Arnold J. Paine, 
Charles H. Philbrick, 
Benjamin E. Phillips. 
Stephen Phetteplace, 
Stephen W. Poole, 



t June 24, 1S6.2, discharged for disability. 
X June 9, 1S62, discharged as a minor. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



405 



William H. Poole, 
Henry Schoch, 
Benjamin Scott, 
Albert W. Sprague, 
Daniel Sullivan, 
John W. Taylor, 
George H. Tyler, 



Lewis O. Walker, 
John Warner, 
Samuel S. Warren, 
Alonzo Whipple, 
James C. Whipple, 
Reuben Wickes, 
Preston D. Yerrinuton. 



COMPANY H 



Captain. 
Christopher Duckworth. 

First Lieutenant. 
Nicholas B. Bolles. 

Second Lieutenant. 
William H. Mason. 



George A. Winchester, 
Edward C. Kendall, 
Henry G. Lillibridge, 

Charles H. Beadle, 
Benjamin F. Pabodie, 
William T. Hovey, 
Alphonso W. Martin, 



Sergeants 

Alfred Baker, 
Charles P. Gay. 

Corporals. 

George A. Kendall, 
Albert G. Knowles, 
James A. Buck! in, 
Charles A. Kimball. 



406 



ROSTER OF THE TENTH 



William E. Dickerson, 

James Annis, 
Job Armstrong, 
Bradford W. Bennett, 
William A. Brown, 
William A. Brownell, 
Frederick G. Chaffin, 
Henry Clark, 
Warren F. Clemence, 
William H. Crins, 
John H. Dodge, 
Albert E. Fuller, 
Mark Hartsine, 
William H. Heclley, 
Joshua M. Hunt, 
Charles H. Jackson, 
Robert Knight, 



Musicians. 

William J. Tiiley, Jr. 

Privates. 

Benjamin Lewis, 
John E. Larned, Jr., 
Almy Mathewson, 
Alonzo Mathewson, 
William H. Mathewson, 
William B. Pierce, 
Henry Read, 
Henry Reinwald, 
Charles A. Remington, 
Albert F. Remington, 
George F. Sheldon, 
Edwin A. Smith, 
William H. Thornton, 
Edwin I. Thurber, 
Edward Updike, 
fGeorge Williams. 



COMPANY I. 



Captains. (See Lieutenant-Colonel.) 
William M. Hale. 
Samuel H. Thomas. 

A gust ii. 1862, from first lieutenant Company B. | 
First Lieutenant. 
Charles H. Mumford. 

t July 7, 1S62, discharged as a minor. 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 



407 



Second Lieutenant. 
Peter Alexander Reid. 



Frank R. Dennis, 
William T. Luther, 
John R. Allen, 

John W. Greene, 
Moses B. Chace, 
Frederic A. Studley, 
Frederic S. Luther, 



John G. Alers, 
Fenner R. Allen, 
William H. Ayer, 
Leander Baker, 
Horace E. Barker, 
James G. Brown, 
Horace R. Butts, 
Matthew A. Chace, 
Richard J. Chappell, 
Charles F. Church, 
Robert Dickerson, 
George Foster, 
Joseph Garrett, 



Sergeants. 

Henry R. Barker, 
Daniel E. Barney. 

Corporals. 

Benjamin D. Hale, 
Thomas N. D. Reynolds, 
Oliver S. Alers, 
Charles W. Howe. 

Musician. 
Edwin R. Burr. 

Privates. 

Charles Gerlach, 
George W. Grant, 
William F. Green, 
James S. Griffin, 
George G. Gunn, 
George B. Hale, 
George W. Harris, Jr., 
Thomas W. D. Horton, 

f Charles E. Millard, 
Cornelius W. Miller. 

fGeorge W. Mereweather, 
Thomas Moore, 
James M. Munroe, 



t July 7, iSuj, discharged as .1 minor. 



40S 



ROSTER OF THE TENTH 



Charles W. Peck, 
John F. Peck, 
Edward B. Peck, 
John F. Paine, 
George Pepall, 
James W. Presbrey, 
George H. Pike, 
William H. Pullen, Jr., 
Frederic Roberts, 
Charles E. Ross, 



Daniel O. Sullivan, 
Charles A. Schuler, 
Henry P. Tillinghast, 
William Toye, 
William H. Trenn, 
Pardon Wilbur, 
Chauncey C. Williams, 
Albert W. White, 
Samuel Y. Weaver. 



COMPANY K. 



Captain. 
G. Frank Low. 

First L ieu tena n t. 
John F. Tobey (adjutant). 

Second Lieutenant. 
William G. Pettis. 



Munson H. Najac, 
William A. Wilson, 
James E. Blackmar, 

Frederick W. Ellis, 
James F. Davison, 



Sergeants. 

Sylvester Martin, 
Nathan S. K. Davis. 

Corporals. 

James F. Mason, 
I. Bradley Adams, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 409 

John D. Edgell, Zephaniah Brown, 2d, 

Jesse P. Eddy, Joseph E. Handy. 

Privates. 

Israel M. Bullock, Carlo Mauran, 

Mathew Blanchard, Frederick McCausland, 

Benjamin Briggs, tj. Wilson McCrillis, 

James P. Brown, George H. Messer, 

Benjamin H. Case, Samuel N. Mitchell, 

Edison C. Chick, Henry L. Place, 

John S. Chick, Albert B. Pond, 

Frank A. Church, Harris H. Potter, 

Amos Cross, Horatio N, Reynolds, 

John B. Davison, JCharles E. Rhodes, 

Edgar J. Doe, Henry W. Robinson, 

Thomas Farrell, Lewis L. Sagendorph, 

Amasa R. Goffe, George W. Shaw, 

^Stephen P. Greene, Elisha Smith, 

John B. Hanna. Daniel Sullivan, 

Daniel H. Helme, Charles D. Thurber, 
Benjamin H. Hemminway, Frank H. Thurber, 

John J. Holmes, George K. Tyler, 

John C. Hopkins, William H. Underbill, 

Stephen A. Horton, Levi C. Walker, 

William C. Ives, A. Fuller Warren, 

Walter M. Jackson, George W. Welden, 

Willis B. Jackson, Charles S. White, 

Reuben W. Johnson, Thomas G. Whaley, 

Gilbert A. Kenney, William C. Witter, 

George H. Kenyon, Charles D. Wilbur, 

Frank A. Love, William H. Young. 
De Witt C. Mathewson, 

f June 7, 1S62, discharged as a minor. 
\ July 7, 1S62, discharged as a minor. 
§ Discharged as a minor. 
52 



ROSTER 

OF THE 

Tenth Light Battery Rhode Island Volunteers, 

( Company L. ) 



Captain. 
Edwin C. Gallup. 

First Lieutenants. 

Senior. Samuel A. Peakce, Jr. 

Junior. Frank A. Rhodes. 

Second Lieutenants. 

Senior. Amos D. Smith, Jr. 

Junior. Henry Pearce. 

Hospital Steward. 
Charles W. Cady. 

First Sergeant. 
Amasa C. Tourtellott. 

Quartermaster Sergeant. 
Asa Lyman. 

Sergeants. 

James S. Davis, Jr., George W. Paton, 

Henry W. Brown. Stephen G. Luther, 

Calvin J. Adams, Philip B. Stiness, Jr. 



ROSTER OF TENTH LIGHT BATTERY R. I. VOLS. 



411 



Corporals. 

Alphonso Bennett, 
Henry A. Boss, 
Isaac S. Andrews, 
James Flate, 
James M. Harrison, 
Liscomb C. Winn. 



John L. Remlinger, 
Henry A. Guild, 
Smith F. Phillips, 
Nathaniel F. Winslow, Jr., 
Ephraim Greene, 
John P. Dow, 
Charles H. Starkey, 

Artificers. 

William Almy, Charles J. Noonan. 

Musician. 

1 )aniel F. Read. 

[ 'oluutccr Surgeon. 
Edward Carrincton Franklin. 



Privates. 



George H. Adams, 
Robert Aldrich, 
George Aldermick, 
Smith A. Alexander, 
Henry H. Almy, 
Thomas Atwood, 
Henry C. Bailey, 
Samuel Bailey, 
Edwin H. Barnes, 
Norman K. Barnes, 
William A. Bates, 
George H. Baxter, 
Alfred A. Bicknell, 



Horatio N. Billington, 
Frederic D. Bliss, 
William J. Booth, 
William A. Bragg, 
William B. Briggs, 
Gardner K. Browning, 
Henry A. Burchard, 
Frederic L. Burden, 
Frederic Campbell, 
Donald Cameron, 
Joseph Carroll, 
Thomas Chace, Jr., 
John Carvey, 



*AugustS, )S62, killed hy accident ncur Fort Penns} Ivania. 



412 



ROSTF.R OF THE TENTH LIGHT BATTERY 



Frank \V. Cole, 
Nelson G. Cole, 
Elijah D. Collins, 
James Cruiksbanks, 
James Crook, 
Edgar A. Cummings, 
George Cummings, 
James Curran, 
Bethil Curtis, 
Charles Dougherty, 
Joseph D. Dow, 
Aaron Duxbury, 
Ezekiel Emerson, 
Joseph R. Elsbree, 
Mitchell J. Fagan, 
Mitchell A. Feeley, 
Edson D. Follett, 
Joseph A. Fowler, 
Thomas H. French, 
Smith Goodspeed, 
Frederic W. Granger, 
George W. Greene, 
Patrick Gleason, 
Edward P. Harney, 
David Hart, 
Henry N. Hopkins, 
James F. Hopkins, 
J. Ray Hopkins, 
Daniel H. Horton, 
Gideon M. Horton, 
Mitchell F. Holden, 
Patrick Herren, 



William H. Harvey, 
William Jenkins, 
William F. Johnson, 
George P. Johnson, 
George Kearney, 
Patrick Kelly, 
Willard A. Knight, 
William Londaigon, 
Timothy McCarthy, 
Joseph McClellan, 
Patrick McGettrick, 
Peter McCready, 
Peter McDermott, 
Prescott Miller, 
George F. Munroe, 
Patrick Murphy, 
Henry Myers, 
Matthew Meehan, 
Hugh McGuire, 
John McCarty, 
Ambrose A. Newbert, 
Ellery Northup, 
Francis Perkins, 
Duty Place. 
James C. Potter, 
Oliver A. Potter, 
Thomas H. Ray, 
Jason B. Reynolds, 
Albert Richards, 
Henry A. Remington, 
Isaac Riley, 
George Robinson, 



RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS. 4 I 3 

Myron Rounds, Henry Tucker, 

William A. Ryan, Stephen D. Tucker, 

Augustus Read, William L. Tyrrell, 

John Schaab, Daniel R. Tennant, 

Matthew Scott, William Turner, 

Henry L. Shippen, Brayton Vallett, 

William Somerville, Stillman W. Wade, 

William Southers, Allen T. White, 

George Stone, Alpha B. White, 

Charles N. Sheldon, David H. Wright, 

John Stewart, James Wood, 

Henry J. Stewart, William E. Woodworth, 

John Taylor, Patrick Welch. 
Israel O. Taylor, 



414 RESOLUTIONS. 



Tillinghast's Assembly Rooms, ) 
Providence. R. I.. May 26, 1S93. ( 

At a meeting of the Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers and Battery Veteran 
Association, held this evening, upon motion of Comrade Charles F. Phillips, 
the following resolutions were unanimously adopted : 

Resolved, That a vote of thanks he tendered to Comrade William A, Spicer, 
as an acknowledgment of the satisfactory manner with which he has performed 
the arduous duty of editing and compiling the History of the Ninth and Tenth 
Regiments Rhode Island Volunteers, and Tenth Rhode Island Battery. 

Resolved, That a special copy of the new Regimental History, suitably hound 
and inscribed, with these resolutions inserted, be presented to Comrade Spicer 
by this Association. 

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by the President to carry 
into effect the foregoing resolutions. 

President Albert J. Manchester appointed as this committee Charles F. 
Phillips and William A. 11. Grant, of the Tenth Regiment, and Philip B. 
Stiness, of the Tenth Battery. 

Upon motion, Comrade Harrison II. Richardson, of the Ninth Regiment, was 
added to the committee. 

Attest : 

(jeo. A. Winchester, 

Secretary. 



RESOLUTIONS. 4 I 5 

Providence, R. I.. Oct. 21st, i s v;- 

At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Publication of the Ninth and Tenth 
R. I. Regiments Veteran Association, Comrade Henry F. Jenks, of the Ninth 
Regiment Association, was appointed Chairman, and William A. II. Grant, of 
the Tenth Regiment Association. Secretary. 

Comrade William A. Spicer, the regimental historian, reported that he had 
completed the work assigned him by the Committees on Publication, and had 
now the pleasure of presenting them with a copy of the History. 

Comrade Harrison H. Richardson, of the Ninth Regiment Committee, said 
he had no doubt but that the history now completed would receive the hearty 
endorsement and approval of the comrades, as it had of the Committee on Pub- 
lication, and ottered the following resolutions : 

Whereas. Comrade William A. Spicer has brought to a successful conclusion 
his labors as Editor of our Regimental History, and has produced a volume 
which, while not recording any thrilling teats of arms, presents a graphic 
picture of life in the camp and on the march, as described by the Boys in Blue 
of '62 : therefore. 

Resolved, That the thanks of our several Associations are due to Comrade 
Spicer for the patient persistency displayed in his search for material, and the 
skill with which he has woven the threads of his narrative, as well as for the 
careful discrimination displayed in the production of a book which may find its 
welcome in the family circle, or the public library, as well as at the camp-fire; 
anil. 

Resolved, As a further testimonial of our appreciation, that Comrade W illiam 
A. Spicer be, and he is. hereby appointed Treasurer, to receive and to disburse 
all funds appropriated or coming from the sale of books, reporting as required 
to this committee, or its successor. 

The above resolutions were unanimously adopted. 

Henry F. Jenks, Chairman. 
\\ . A. 11. Grant, Secretary. 

Oct. 2ISt, I.893. 



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